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 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 Variation in activity and thermostability of alcohol dehydrogenase in Drosophila melanogaster

1981 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. McKay
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Alcohol Dehydrogenase ◽  
Genetic Background ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Spectrophotometric Assay ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Ecological Sites ◽  
Enzyme Loci ◽  
Adh Activity

SUMMARYThe activity and thermostability of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) from 247 strains of Drosophila melanogaster were studied by spectrophotometric assay. The strains, in which second chromosomes had been made homozygous in a standard genetic background, were derived from five natural populations from diverse geographical and ecological sites. Evidence is presented that the majority of variation in ADH activity is attributable to the presence, in all five populations, of two electromorphs of the enzyme. However, some variation does exist between strains carrying the same electromorph, to some extent associated with variation hi body weight. Two strains showed atypical ADH activities. Variation in ADH thermostability was almost wholly attributable to the presence of two electromorphs; only two strains had enzymes with thermostabilities atypical of their electromorph. In the four strains with abnormal ADH properties the locus (loci) responsible map in the region of the Adh locus. Therelatively low level of heterogeneity within electrophoretic classes at this locus is discussed in view of recent findings at other enzyme loci in Drosophila.

scholarly journals Adaptedness of Variants at an Alcohol Dehydrogenase Locus in Bromus mollis L. (Soft Bromegrass)

1976 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 389 ◽  
Author(s):  
ADH Brown ◽  
DR Marshall ◽  
J Munday
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Dehydrogenase ◽  
Dehydrogenase Activity ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Continuous Flooding ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Alcohol Dehydrogenase Activity ◽  
Adh Activity ◽  
Bromus Mollis

Alcohol dehydrogenase is highly polymorphic in many plant and animal species. Here we report evidence that the naturally occurring, electrophoretically detectable allozyme variants of the AdhlB locus in B. mollis can respond differentially to environmental stresses. It is argued that alcohol dehydrogenase activity is specifically involved in response to these stresses. Crude extracts of predominantly selfed seeds sampled from plants of known Adh1B genotype were assayed for their ADH activity in the forward and backward reactions. The seeds from Adh~B Adh~B plants produced extracts about 12 % less active in both directions than seeds from their Adh~BAdh~B counterparts. Such Adh~BAdh~B plants were also shown to produce about 13% more dry matter when grown under continuous flooding in the greenhouse whereas no difference between genotypes was detected in control pots. The seeds of Adh~B Adh~B plants showed an advantage over the alternative homozygotes in more rapid germination at 2�C, but no difference was found at 15�C. Thus the variants are differentially adapted, and this is likely to playa role in the maintenance of the polymorphism in natural populations.

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.

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