Developmental changes of sepiapterin synthase activity associated with a variegated purple gene in Drosophila melanogaster
A variegated position effect on the autonomous gene, purple, has been studied enzymologically in Drosophila melanogaster. Sepiapterin synthase, the enzyme system associated with pr/sup +/, was examined for activity in different developmental stages of the fly. The results indicate that T(Y:2)pr/sup c5/, cn/pr/sup c4/ cn flies (flies in which pr/sup +/ has been translocated and which exhibit variegation) have a reduced amount of enzyme activity as compared with both Oregon-R and pr/sup 1/ flies. This reduction in activity was not found in larval stages, which suggests that the inactivation process probably occurs in late larval or early pupal stages. The phenotype of the variegated adult has white eyes with red-colored spots and patches where drosopterins occur. The phenotype of the fly carrying the translocation is modified by the presence of additional Y chromosomes. This extends the observation from other systems that extra heterochromatin acts to suppress the variegated position effect. The advantages of studying the variegation by measuring enzyme activity, as well as the phenotypic expression, are several; for example, the developmental time at which variegation occurs may be estimated even though drosopterin synthesis is not occurring.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-26
- OSTI ID:
- 5265579
- Journal Information:
- Biochem. Genet.; (United States), Journal Name: Biochem. Genet.; (United States) Vol. 17:1/2; ISSN BIGEB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Mechanism of suppression in Drosophila: control of sepiapterin synthase at the purple locus
Biosynthesis of drosopterins by an enzyme system from Drosophila melanogaster
Related Subjects
550400* -- Genetics
550800 -- Morphology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ANIMALS
ARTHROPODS
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
BIOLOGY
CATALYSIS
CELL DIFFERENTIATION
CHROMATIN
CHROMOSOMAL ABERRATIONS
DROSOPHILA
ENZYMES
FLIES
FRUIT FLIES
GENES
GENETICS
GENOTYPE
HETEROCHROMATIN
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
INSECTS
INVERTEBRATES
KINETICS
LIFE CYCLE
MORPHOLOGY
MUTATIONS
ONTOGENESIS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PHENOTYPE
PTERIDINES
REACTION KINETICS
SEX CHROMATIN