Alterations of DNA and protein patterns of irradiated cowpea weevils

The present work investigated the effect of gamma irradiation of different developmental stages of the cowpea weevil Callosobruchus maculatus on the fertility of adults in order to determine the sterilizing dose for each stage. The effects of various doses of gamma rays on the DNA and protein patterns of the irradiated adults were also studied to find a physiological marker serving as an effective biological indicator of sterility or sterility genotype print. Alterations of the DNA and protein patterns of the sterile males and females of C. maculatus from the normal ones provide an explanation for the induced sterility regarding the importance of the DNA and the proteins in the transfer of the genetic materials from cell to cell. However, the similarity in DNA and protein patterns of normal and irradiated adult females was interpreted by supposing that the radiation-induced damages in regions of the genome other than at the loci under study.