Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T18:27:19.545Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The quantitative relations between variation in red eye pigment and related pteridine compounds in Drosophila melanogaster

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 April 2009

Ilse B. Barthelmess  and
Forbes W. Robertson
Ilse B. Barthelmess
Affiliation:
Department of Genetics, University of Edinburgh
Forbes W. Robertson
Affiliation:
Department of Genetics, University of Edinburgh
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The relations between the quantity of red eye pigment and related pteridine compounds of Drosophila melanogaster have been studied in a variety of genotypes, which include strains selected for high or low pigment content, various derivatives of these lines and also lines in which one or other of the major autosome pairs were represented by homozygous chromosome pairs, derived by random sampling from the base population and also inbred lines. The quantity of red pigment was defined by the optical density when whole heads were extracted in a suitable solvent, while the pteridines were separated by chromatography and their amounts estimated by means of their characteristic fluorescence.

The evidence from selection, inbreeding and chromosome sampling from the base population demonstrated the presence of substantial genetic variation for pigment content and amounts of related pteridines.

The genetic and biochemical properties of the selected lines differed according to the direction of selection. High lines remained heterozygous after many generations of selection and displayed dominance and epistasis in favour of higher pigment content in crosses to the unselected stock. Selection for low pigment content led to fixation of recessive effects, attributable to particular chromosomes. The dominance-recessive relationship in red pigment differences was also applicable to the associated pteridines.

The metabolic pattern in all lines with reduced pigment content is compatible with the assumption of reduced enzyme activity at particular steps of the pathway leading to the drosopterins (red eye pigments). The two steps accessible to study are subject to genetic variation in the base population, while inbreeding or selection for low pigment content leads to genetically fixed alterations at one or other of these steps. The genetic analysis was consistent with the biochemical evidence.

Increase in pigment content above the normal level, either by selection or chance fixation, is accompanied by correlated increase in all the precursors. Several alternatives are possible but it is suggested that this may be due to an increase in early precursors, before the stages which have been altered in the low pigment lines.

Attention is drawn to the similarity in genetic behaviour between pigment content and body size. Particular emphasis is laid on the value of selection as a means of creating biochemical differences which offer a basis for relating biochemical function and genetic behaviour.

Type
Research Article
Information
Genetics Research , Volume 15 , Issue 1 , February 1970 , pp. 65 - 86
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1970

References

REFERENCES

Beadle, G. W. & Ephrussi, B. (1937). Development of eye colors in Drosophila. Diffusible substances and their interrelations. Genetics 22, 76–86.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chauhan, N. S. & Robertson, F. W. (1966). Quantitative inheritance of red eye pigment in Drosophila melanogaster. Genet. Res., Camb. 8, 143–164.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Clancy, C. W. (1942). The development of eye colors in Drosophila melanogaster. Further studies on the mutant claret. Genetics 27, 417–440.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davis, R. H. (1968). Utilization of exogenous and endogenous ornithine by Neuropora crassa. J. Bact. 96, 389–395.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Donachie, W. D. (1962). Studies on the relationship between genes and enzymes. Ph.D. Thesis, Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Ephrussi, B. & Herold, J. L. (1944). Studies on eye pigments of Drosophila. I. Methods of extraction and quantitative estimation of the pigment components. Genetics 29, 148–175.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Glassman, E. (1965). Genetic regulation of xanthine dehydrogenase in Drosophila melanogaster. Fed. Proc. 24, 1243–1251.Google ScholarPubMed
Gregg, T. G. & Smucker, L. A. (1965). Pteridines and gene homologies in the eye colour mutants of Drosophila hydei and Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 52, 1023–1034.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hadorn, E. (1956). Patterns of biochemical and developmental pleiotropy. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 21, 363–373.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hadorn, E. (1958). Contribution to the physiological and biochemical genetics of pteridines and pigments in insects. Proc. Xth Int. Congr. Genet. (Montreal), 1, 337–354.Google Scholar
Hadorn, E. & Mitchell, H. K. (1951). Properties of mutants of Drosophila melanogaster and changes during development as revealed by paper chromatography. Proc. Natn. Acad. Sci., U.S.A. 37, 650–665.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hadorn, E. & Ziegler-Günder, I. (1958). Untersuchungen zur Entwicklung, Geschlechts-spezifltät und phänogenetischen Autonomie der Augen-Pterine verschiedener Genotypen von Drosophila melanogaster. Z. VererbL. 89, 221–237.Google ScholarPubMed
Hubby, J. L. & Forrest, H. S. (1960). Studies on the mutant maroon-like in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 45, 211–224.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nolte, D. J. (1952 a). The eye pigmentary system of Drosophila. II. Phenotypic effects of gene combinations. J. Genet. 51, 130–141.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nolte, D. J. (1952 b). The eye pigmentary system of Drosophila. III. The action of eye colour genes. J. Genet. 51, 142–186.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robertson, F. W. (1954). Studies in quantitative inheritance. V. Chromosome analysis of crosses between selected and unselected lines of different body size in Drosophila melanogaster. J. Genet. 52, 494–515.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robertson, F. W. (1955). Selection response and the properties of genetic variation. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 20, 166–177.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Robertson, F. W. & Reeve, E. C. R. (1955). Studies in quantitative inheritance. VII. Crosses between strains of different body size in Drosophila melanogaster. Z. indukt. Abstamm. u. VererbLehre 86, 424–438.Google ScholarPubMed
Taira, T. (1960). A biochemical study on allelism at Henna locus in Drosophila melanogaster. Jap. J. Gen. 35, 344–350.Google Scholar
Ziegler, I. (1961 a). Genetic aspects of ommochrome and pterin pigments. Adv. Genet. 10, 349–403.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ziegler, I. (1961 b). Zur genphysiologischen Analyse der Pterine im Insektenauge (Drosophila melanogaster und Cattiphora erythrocephala). Z. VererbL. 92, 249–345.Google Scholar
Ziegler, I. (1965). Pterine als Wirkstoffe und Pigmente. Ergebn. Physiol. 56, 1–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ziegler-Günder, I. & Hadorn, E. (1958). Manifestation rezessiver Augenfarb-Gene im Pterininventar heterozygoter Genotypen von Drosophila melanogaster. Z. VererbL. 89, 235–245.Google ScholarPubMed