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Genetic tolerance to ethanol in drosophila melanogaster: Increase by selection and analysis of correlated responses

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Abstract

After 28 generations of selection, the alcohol tolerance of a French strain was increased from its initial value of 18% (lethal concentration 50 for adults after two days of treatment) to about 26%. A decrease in the between-individual variation was observed in the selected line. Comparison of the LC 50 after 1, 2 or 3 days of treatment showed that resistant flies had a better capacity to withstand a prolonged exposure to alcohol.

Study of various biometrical and physiological traits in the selected and unselected line showed only minor differences between them. The considerable size difference observed between European and tropical African strains cannot be considered to be the cause of the higher alcohol tolerance found in French strains.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire d'Entomologie expérimentale et de Génétique, Université Claude Bernard, 69621, Villeurbanne, France

    J. R. David

  2. Laboratoire de Génétique évolutive (C.N.R.S.), 91190, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

    C. Bocquet

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  1. J. R. David
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  2. C. Bocquet
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David, J.R., Bocquet, C. Genetic tolerance to ethanol in drosophila melanogaster: Increase by selection and analysis of correlated responses. Genetica 47, 43–48 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00122437

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00122437

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