Date: Tue, 4 Feb 97 11:25:05 PST
Message-Id: <v01540b03af1cca2d6345@[192.174.2.182]>
To: pinhole@exploratorium.edu
From: karenk@exploratorium.edu (Karen Kalumuck)
Subject: Re: Fruit flies
Dear Ray and Pinhole subscribers -
It just so happens that I can get you - free - flies of a variety
of phenotypes from the Life Sciences dept. here at the Explo. They change
the fly stocks to new food twice a week, and are more than happy to pass on
the ones which would be discarded to teachers.
Life sciences has a variety of interesting strains available
including eyeless, and Antennapedia, which is a homeotic mutant in which
antennae are converted to legs. However, both these strains are more
difficult to keep (but not impossible) because of their physical
limitations.
The strains we have that I would recommend for classroom use are
white eyes (which is an X-linked - sometimes referred to as sex linked -
and works well in crosses), Curly wings which is a dominant mutation
(homozygous Cy is lethal, so one category from a Punnet square would not
show up in progeny of a Cy x Cy mating) and vestigial wings which is a
recessive mutation; also ebony body color which is another recessive.
The procedure I use for staining salivary glands is the
aceto-orcein staining procedure which might be the same as the one you
have. As you probably recall, the toughest part is getting the darn glands
dissected from the larvae, then of course the squashing part is somewhat of
an art. In a typical class there should be one or two that come out well
(at least that 's been my experience). Let me know if you want it.
Also, for those of you who need more information, I did my
dissertation on flies and know probably more than you'd ever want to know
about them! Call or e-mail me with questions. The Carolina Drosophila
manual is well done and has most everything you need to know - I have one
extra copy I'm glad to pass on to the first person who comes by the TI
office and asks me for it (Carolina sends them with any fly order).
If you're interested in receiving free flies please contact me (
karenk@exploratorium .edu or phone 561-0313) - do not contact the life
sciences dept. If we get too many requests, it'll have to be first come
first served as flies are available. Also, you'd need to come by here to
pick up the stocks here.
----Karen Kalumuck