Abstract
Ethidium bromide (EB) is an intercalating agent of nucleic acids.For this reason it is generally used in molecular biology and in structural studies of DNA and chromatin.Many scientists have demonstrated that this chemical can have mutagenic properties in some living organisms, including Drosophila melanogaster.However, most of them used concentrations up to a thousand times higher than those used used in methods of molecular biology for nucleic acid staining after electrophoresis.In the present work we verified the effect of Ethidium Bromide in all phases of development (egg, larva, pupa, and adult) of ten generations of Drosophila melanogaster exposed to the chemical treatment (F1, F3, F6, and F10).Moreover, we analyzed the time spent for pre- copulation and copulation.The results show that ethidium bromide interferes in the viability of eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults of Drosophila melanogaster.On the other hand, the behavior related to reproduction showed significant differences between the groups exposed to 30 μM EB and 1μ M EMS (ethylmethanesulfonate) and the control group in terms of the time spent in copulation.So, the data suggest on one side that ethidium bromide interfered in developmental genes, causing in some individuals inviability to reach the adult phase, and on the other side that it can interfere in the fruit fly behavior, acting as a neurotoxic agent.
