ABSTRACT
Genetic monitoring of natural Drosophila melanogaster populations inhabiting regions of Belarus with different radiation background (Vetka and Svetilovichi villages), radonuclide-contaminated after the Chernobyl accident, compared with populations from the Berezinsky biosphere reserve (the control area) were conducted. The dominant and recessive lethal mutation levels and genetic structure of the populations were analyzed for frequencies of F- and S-alleles of Adh (alcohol dehydrogenase) of Gpdh (glycerinophosphate dehydrogenase) and Sod (superoxide dismutase) loci. Populations inhabiting the regions with high radiation background exhibited higher frequency of lethal mutations and higher heterozygosity than those from the control area. Moreover, higher frequency of polymorphous Sod locus S-allele was detected in these populations. Apparently, Sod S-alleles are more adaptively valuable under conditions of high radiation background, because as is known, superoxide dismutase is an effective radioprotector at all levels molecular, cellular and organism. Adaptation of populations to stress impacts was analyzed, since 1998. Nonspecific adaptation of natural Drosophila melanogaster populations from Vetka and Svetilovichi villages of Gomel region was reveled. They are higher adapted than the control population from the Berezinsky biosphere reserve to both ionizing radiation effect and to chemical mutagen EMS. After laboratory cultivation within 6-8 generations without irradiation adaptation to radiation in the population from radiocontaminated regions remained. The content of samples from the control natural drosophila population in the laboratory conditions is an environmental stress that led to the formation of nonspecific adaptation within 6-8 generations to unfavorable factors, including ionizing radiation. It should be taken into account that the population adaptation is formed via death of sensitive genotypes at various ontogenesis stages.
