Evidence for an excess of rDNA in the testis of Drosophila melanogaster during rDNA magnification.

Hybridization of rRNA and DNA extracted from different tissues of different genotypes have been performed. The results show that: 1) in DNA extracted from the testis of premagnified males there exists an excess of rDNA, which is consistent with the model proposed by Ritossa (1972) and by us (1973) to explain the phenomenon of magnification. 2) in DNA extracted from diploid tissues of different genotypes the percent of rDNA is directly proportional to the number of ribosomal genes. 3) in polytene cells the percent of rDNA for all genotypes so far studied is less than that in diploid cells and is not significantly dependent on the genotype. This last result is consistent with those of Spear and Gall (1973).