Oxidative phosphorylation in the minute mutants ofDrosophila

✍ Scribed by Farnsworth, M. W.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1965
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 526 KB
• Volume: 160
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-104X
• DOI: 10.1002/jez.1401600313

✦ Synopsis

Oxidative phosphorylation was studied in mitochondria isolated from whole 72-hour larvae heterozygous for nine different Minute mutants with loci on the second and third chromosomes, i.e: M(2)12, M(2)1, M(2)173, M(2)z, M(3)w, M(3)124, M(3)B2, M(3)y and M ( 3 ) l . In all Minutes, oxidative phosphorylation was found to be abnormal in that phosphorylation was uncoupled from oxygen uptake to a greater extent as compared to controls. Differences with respect to respiration and/or phosphorylation were also evident between the Minutes themselves. The results strengthen the hypothesis that lesions in oxidative phosphorylation are associated with the Minute phenotype and demonstrate genetic control over this basic cellular process. In addition, if it is assumed that the Minutes are heterochromatic, as believed by many investigators, then the present study indicates a physiological function for heterochromatin. '64b, '65; Schultz, '29).