CHANGES IN LEVELS OF ALCOHOL DEHYDROGENASE DURING THE DEVELOPMENT OF DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

1981 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 305-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven M. Anderson ◽  
John F. McDonald

The results of an analysis of the biochemical basis of changes in alcohol dehydrogenase (E.C.1.1.1.1) activity over Drosophila development are presented. The data indicate that (1) the characteristic changes that occur in ADH activity over development are predominantly, if not exclusively, the result of quantitative changes in the amount of enzyme present rather than qualitative changes affecting the enzyme's specific activity and (2) the fluctuations in amount of ADH which occur during development are not the result of the only known form of post-translational modification capable of affecting the biochemical properties of the enzyme. We conclude that developmental changes in amount of ADH are most likely the result of fluctuations in the turnover of the ADH protein.

Genetics ◽  
1978 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 371-388
Author(s):  
John F McDonald ◽  
Francisco J Ayala

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.


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

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.


1975 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. D. Ward

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.


1988 ◽  
Vol 251 (1) ◽  
pp. 223-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
J O Winberg ◽  
J S McKinley-McKee

The NAD+ + acetone-induced isoenzyme conversion of the Drosophila melanogaster AdhS alleloenzyme was studied. Absorption and fluorescence spectra as well as electrophoretic and kinetic methods show that the conversion process proceeds through three steps. Initially a binary enzyme-NAD+ complex is formed, followed by a ternary enzyme-NAD+-acetone complex with a KEO, Ac of 1.7 M. The last step is a rate-limiting irreversible process in which NAD+ and acetone are covalently linked to the enzyme. A Vm of 2.4 min-1 was obtained at pH 8.6.


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