scholarly journals Genetical variation for enzyme activity in a population of Drosophila melanogaster. vi. molecular variation in the control of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity

Heredity ◽  
1981 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
A J Birley ◽  
P A Couch ◽  
A Marson
Keyword(s):  
Enzyme Activity ◽  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Alcohol Dehydrogenase ◽  
Molecular Variation ◽  
Genetical Variation ◽  
Adh Activity

scholarly journals GENETIC AND BIOCHEMICAL BASIS OF ENZYME ACTIVITY VARIATION IN NATURAL POPULATIONS. I. ALCOHOL DEHYDROGENASE IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

Genetics ◽  
1978 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 371-388
Author(s):  
John F McDonald ◽  
Francisco J Ayala
Keyword(s):  
Gene Regulation ◽  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Alcohol Dehydrogenase ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Difficult Problem ◽  
Regulatory Genes ◽  
Biochemical Basis ◽  
Evolutionary Consequence ◽  
The Third ◽  
Adh Activity

ABSTRACT Recent studies by various authors suggest that variation in gene regulation may be common in nature, and might be of great evolutionary consequence; but the ascertainment of variation in gene regulation has proven to be a difficult problem. In this study, we explore this problem by measuring alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity in Drosophila melanogaster strains homozygous for various combinations of given second and third chromosomes sampled from a natural population. The structural locus (Adh) coding for ADH is on the second chromosome. The results show that: (1) there are genes, other than Adh, that affect the levels of ADH activity; (2) at least some of these "regulatory" genes are located on the third chromosome, and thus are not adjacent to the Adh locus; (3) variation exists in natural populations for such regulatory genes; (4) the effect of these regulatory genes varies as they interact with different second chromosomes; (5) third chromosomes with high-activity genes are either partially or completely dominant over chromosomes with low-activity genes; (6) the effects of the regulatory genes are pervasive throughout development; and (7) the third chromosome genes regulate the levels of ADH activity by affecting the number of ADH molecules in the flies. The results are consistent with the view that the evolution of regulatory genes may play an important role in adaptation.

scholarly journals MOLECULAR POPULATION GENETICS OF THE ALCOHOL DEHYDROGENASE GENE REGION OF DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

Genetics ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 114 (4) ◽  
pp. 1165-1190
Author(s):  
Charles F Aquadro ◽  
Susan F Desse ◽  
Molly M Bland ◽  
Charles H Langley ◽  
Cathy C Laurie-Ahlberg
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Alcohol Dehydrogenase ◽  
Sequence Variation ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Restriction Map ◽  
Length Variation ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Chromosome Inversion ◽  
Frequency Spectra ◽  
Adh Activity

ABSTRACT Variation in the DNA restriction map of a 13-kb region of chromosome ll including the alcohol dehydrogenase structural gene (Adh) was examined in Drosophila melanogaster from natural populations. Detailed analysis of 48 D. melanogaster lines representing four eastern United States populations revealed extensive DNA sequence variation due to base substitutions, insertions and deletions. Cloning of this region from several lines allowed characterization of length variation as due to unique sequence insertions or deletions [nine sizes; 21-200 base pairs (bp)] or transposable element insertions (several sizes, 340 bp to 10.2 kb, representing four different elements). Despite this extensive variation in sequences flanking the Adh gene, only one length polymorphism is clearly associated with altered Adh expression (a copia element approximately 250 bp 5′ to the distal transcript start site). Nonetheless, the frequency spectra of transposable elements within and between Drosophila species suggests they are slightly deleterious. Strong nonrandom associations are observed among Adh region sequence variants, ADH allozyme (Fast vs. Slow), ADH enzyme activity and the chromosome inversion ln(2L)t. Phylogenetic analysis of restriction map haplotypes suggest that the major twofold component of ADH activity variation (high vs. low, typical of Fast and Slow allozymes, respectively) is due to sequence variation tightly linked to and possibly distinct from that underlying the allozyme difference. The patterns of nucleotide and haplotype variation for Fast and Slow allozyme lines are consistent with the recent increase in frequency and spread of the Fast haplotype associated with high ADH activity. These data emphasize the important role of evolutionary history and strong nonrandom associations among tightly linked sequence variation as determinants of the patterns of variation observed in natural populations.

scholarly journals Regulation of enzyme activities in Drosophila: I. The detection of regulatory loci by gene dosage responses

1974 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Rawls ◽  
John C. Lucchesi
Keyword(s):  
Enzyme Activity ◽  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Alcohol Dehydrogenase ◽  
Gene Dosage ◽  
Regulatory Elements ◽  
Gpdh Activity ◽  
Regulatory Loci ◽  
Chromosome Ii ◽  
Chromosome Segments ◽  
Regulatory Sites

SUMMARYIn order to detect regulatory genetic sites in the autosomes of Drosophila melanogaster, the levels of X-linked glucose-6-phosphate dehydro-genase and autosomally linked α-glycerophosphate and isocitrate dehydrogenases have been monitored in extracts of flies aneuploid for regions of chromosomes II and III. In addition to expected structural gene dosage responses of α-GPDH and IDH, flies hyperploid for several autosome regions were found to display altered levels of one or more of the enzymes studied. While IDH activity was increased in flies hyperploid for segments of both chromosomes II and III, α-GPDH activity was decreased in specific hyperploids for chromosome II regions only. The latter group of segmental aneuploids were normal with respect to levels of chromosome II-linked alcohol dehydrogenase. To test if the observed responses were due to dosage changes of discrete genes lying within the larger effective segments, flies aneuploid for subdivisions of the chromosome segments 21A-25CD, 35A–40, and 70CD–71B were assayed. For two of these large segments so analysed, the apparent effects were attributable to specific small subdivisions, suggesting the presence of discrete regulatory sites within the latter. For the 35A–40 region the α-GPDH effect observed for subdivisions was not sufficient to account for the large α-GPDH decrease seen in flies hyperploid for the large, inclusive region. These observations are discussed with respect to the possible bases of effect of regulatory elements on enzyme activity.

scholarly journals Alcohol dehydrogenase activity in Drosophila melanogaster: a quantitative character

1975 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. D. Ward
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Alcohol Dehydrogenase ◽  
Dehydrogenase Activity ◽  
Structural Gene ◽  
Genetic Background ◽  
Quantitative Character ◽  
Alcohol Dehydrogenase Activity ◽  
Activity Modifiers ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Adh Activity

SUMMARYAlcohol dehydrogenase activity in Drosophila melanogaster may be considered as a quantitative character, since it shows many features typically associated with such traits. Although strains with the electrophoretically fast phenotype generally have activities greater than those with the slow phenotype, presumably reflecting differences in the nucleotide sequences of the structural alleles, within each electrophoretic class there is considerable variation in activity. The expression of the structural gene, in terms of ADH activity, is to some extent regulated by its genetic background. Strains homozygous for particular structural alleles respond to divergent directional selection for ADH activity. Modifiers have been located to the X, second and third chromosomes.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document