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), Vol. 17:1/2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Mechanism of suppression in Drosophila: control of sepiapterin synthase at the purple locus
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Related Subjects
CELL DIFFERENTIATION
GENETICS
DROSOPHILA
ONTOGENESIS
GENES
MORPHOLOGY
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CATALYSIS
CHROMOSOMAL ABERRATIONS
ENZYMES
GENOTYPE
HETEROCHROMATIN
LIFE CYCLE
PHENOTYPE
PTERIDINES
SEX CHROMATIN
ANIMALS
ARTHROPODS
BIOLOGY
CHROMATIN
FLIES
FRUIT FLIES
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
INSECTS
INVERTEBRATES
KINETICS
MUTATIONS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
REACTION KINETICS
550400* - Genetics
550200 - Biochemistry
550800 - Morphology