Genetic control of enzyme expression inDrosophila: A locus influencing tissue specificity of aldehyde oxidase

✍ Scribed by Dickinson, W. J.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1978
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 780 KB
• Volume: 206
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-104X
• DOI: 10.1002/jez.1402060304

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

A natural genetic variant in Drosophila melanogaster with a highly tissue specific effect on the level of an enzyme (aldehyde oxidase) is described. This variant causes overproduction of the enzyme by a factor of 2‐ to 3‐ fold in paragonia (male accessory sex glands) while having no significant effect on the enzyme level in other tissues. This difference is controlled by a single genetic element in the vicinity of the aldehyde oxidase structural gene that operates in a strictly cis‐active mode. It is not associated with any change in enzyme primary structure detectable by a variety of physical, chemical and immunochemical tests. The most likely explanation for all of these observations is that the variant defines a cis‐active regulatory element adjacent to the structural site.