The functional significance of amylase polymorphism in Drosophila melanogaster VI. Duration of development and amylase activity in larvae when starch is a limiting factor

Abstract To begin unraveling the functional significance of calcium channel diversity, we identified mutations in Dmca1D, a Drosophila calcium channel α1 subunit cDNA that we recently cloned. These mutations constitute the l(2)35Fa lethal locus, which we rename Dmca1D. A severe allele, Dmca1DX10, truncates the channel after the IV-S4 transmembrane domain. These mutants die as late embryos because they lack vigorous hatching movements. In the weaker allele, Dmca1DAR66, a cysteine in transmembrane domain I-S1 is changed to tyrosine. Dmca1DAR66 embryos hatch but pharate adults have difficulty eclosing. Those that do eclose have difficulty in fluid-filling of the wings. These studies show that this member of the calcium channel α1 subunit gene family plays a nonredundant, vital role in larvae and adults.

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Adaptive significance of amylase polymorphism in Drosophila. X. Analysis of alpha-amylase activity of two amylase variants in individual Drosophila subobscura flies.

The Japanese Journal of Genetics ◽

10.1266/jjg.70.487 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 70 (4) ◽

pp. 487-495 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Vesna STOJILJKOVIC ◽

Mirjana MILANOVIC ◽

Mirjana MILOSEVIC ◽

Marko ANDJELKOVIC ◽

Dragoslav MARINKOVIC

Keyword(s):

Amylase Activity ◽

Adaptive Significance ◽

Drosophila Subobscura ◽

Alpha Amylase ◽

Amylase Polymorphism

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Decreased Temperature Sensitivity of Vestigial Gene Expression in Temperate Populations of Drosophila melanogaster

Genes ◽

10.3390/genes10070498 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 498

Author(s):

Voigt ◽

Erpf ◽

Stephan

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Drosophila Melanogaster ◽

Temperature Sensitivity ◽

Natural Populations ◽

Limiting Factor ◽

Temperature Sensitive ◽

Thermal Environments ◽

Wide Range ◽

Key Factor ◽

Temperate Climates

Drosophila melanogaster recently spread from its tropical origin in Africa and became a cosmopolitan species that has adapted to a wide range of different thermal environments, including temperate climates. An important limiting factor of temperate climates has probably been their low and varying temperatures. The transcriptional output of genes can vary across temperatures, which might have been detrimental while settling in temperate environments. The reduction of temperature-sensitive expression of functionally important genes to ensure consistent levels of gene expression might have been relevant while adapting to such environments. In this study, we focus on the gene vestigial (vg) whose product is a key factor in wing development. We provide evidence that temperature-sensitivity of vg has been buffered in populations from temperate climates. We investigated temperature-sensitivity of vg gene expression in six natural populations, including four temperate populations (three from Europe and one from high-altitude Africa), and two tropical populations from the ancestral species range. All temperate populations exhibited a lower degree of temperature-induced expression plasticity than the tropical populations.

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