Transcription analysis of alcohol dehydrogenase null alleles from natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster

Genome ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allan L. Freeth ◽  
John B. Gibson ◽  
Ann V. Wilks
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Alcohol Dehydrogenase ◽  
Northern Blot ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Molecular Properties ◽  
Southern Analysis ◽  
Null Alleles ◽  
Normal Allele ◽  
Transcription Analysis

Southern analysis of 19 Adh null activity alleles isolated from Tasmanian populations of Drosophila melanogaster have shown that there are no detectable insertions or deletions in an 11.8-kb region that contains the gene. Northern blot analyses of the null alleles have shown that they all produce a transcript about 100 bases longer than that produced by the normal allele and they accumulate a precursor of 1800 bases. The amount of the major transcript produced by the null alleles is about 10% of that produced by normal alleles. The molecular properties of the null alleles suggest that they share a common origin.Key words: alcoahol dehydrogenase, null alleles, mRNA, Drosophila melanogaster.

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 BIOCHEMICAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PRODUCTS OF THE Adh LOCUS IN DROSOPHILA

Genetics ◽  
1980 ◽  
Vol 95 (4) ◽  
pp. 1013-1022
Author(s):  
John F McDonald ◽  
Steven M Anderson ◽  
Mauro Santos
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Dehydrogenase ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Adaptive Significance ◽  
Molecular Properties

ABSTRACT An analysis of the molecular properties of the major alcohol dehydrogenase (E.C.1.1.1.1) allozyme variants found segregating in natural populations of D. melanogaster is presented. Our results indicate: (1) ADH-S enzyme has generally lower Michaelis-Menten constants than those of ADH-F; (2) ADH-S and ADH-F enzymes display opposite interactions for both co-factor and substrate; and (3) higher levels of ADH are associated with the Adh-fast genotype. The possible adaptive significance of these findings is discussed.

scholarly journals Enzyme null alleles in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster: Frequencies in a North Carolina population

1980 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 1091-1095 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Voelker ◽  
C. H. Langley ◽  
A. J. L. Brown ◽  
S. Ohnishi ◽  
B. Dickson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Null Alleles ◽  
Carolina Population
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