Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Esterase-6 polymorphism inDrosophila melanogaster:Effects of temperature and methyl malonate on genotypic trajectories in polymorphic populations set up with highly inbred lines

  • Published:
Journal of Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

It is generally difficult to identify possible effects of selection at a specific locus because of the heterogeneity of the genetic background. Geographical patterns ofEst-6 gene frequencies suggest that there is selection at this locus but selection on loci closely linked to it cannot be excluded. Differences in catalytic properties between allozymes have been shownin vitro; further, several laboratory studies have shown apparent fitness differences between allozymes. Our study used inbred lines highly homogeneous in the genetic background. Four populations were set up fromEst-6s andEst-6F homozygous females inseminated by males of the same genotype at each combination of three factors: temperature (18 and 25°C); methyl malonate (presence or absence); input gene frequencies [p(S) = 0.2 and 0.8]. The populations were sampled periodically for about 28 generations. Methyl malonate was chosen to exert pressure in the enzymatic function of esterase-6. Statistical analyses show that: there are no sex differences; gene frequencies change from input values to those of the first sampling, when only individuals of the first generation are present at 18oC or individuals of the second generation just begin to appear at 25°C; gene frequencies do not change thereafter and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium is established. The changes in gene frequencies observed in the first generations suggest thatEst-6 can under certain conditions be a target of selection. Such conditions may not, however, occur in natural populations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akam M E, Roberts D B, Richards G P and Ashburner M 1978 Drosophila: the genetics of two major larval proteins.Cell 13: 215–225

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson P R and Oakeshott J G 1984 Parallel geographical patterns of allozyme variation in two sibling Drosophila species.Nature (London) 308: 729–731

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anxolabehere D 1976 Heterosis overdominance and frequency-dependent selection inDrosophila melanogaster at the sepia locus.Evolution 30: 523–534

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anxolabehere D 1980 The influence of sexual and larval selection on the maintenance of polymorphism at the sepia locus inDrosophila melanogaster.Genetics 95: 743–755

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bijlsma R 1978 Polymorphism at the G6PD and 6PGD loci inDrosophila melanogaster. II. Evidence for interaction in fitness.Genet. Res. Camb. 31: 227–237

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bijlsma R and Kerver J M 1983 The effect of DDT on the polymorphisms at the G6PD and PGD loci inDrosophila melanogaster.Genetics 103: 447–464

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Birley A J and Beardmore J A 1977 Genetical composition, temperature, density and selection in an enzyme polymorphism.Heredity 39: 133–144

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cavener D R and Clegg M T 1978 Dynamics of correlated systems. IV. Multilocus effects of ethanol stress environments.Genetics 90: 629–644

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cavener D R and Clegg M T 1981a Multigenic response to ethanol inDrosophila melanogaster.Evolution 35: 1–10

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cavener D R and Clegg M T 1981b Evidence for biochemical and physiological differences between enzyme genotypes inDrosophila melanogaster.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 78: 4444–47

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clegg M T, Kidwell J F, Kidwell M G and Daniel N J 1976 Dynamics of correlated genetic systems. I. Selection in the region of the glued locus inDrosophila melanogaster.Genetics 83: 793–810

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cochrane B J and Richmond R C 1979 Studies of esterase-6 inDrosophila melanogaster. I. The genetics of a post-translational modification.Biochem. Genet. 17: 167–183

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cochrane B J and Richmond R C 1980 The effects of lethal selection on the EST-6 to PGM region of chromosome 3 inDrosophila melanogaster.Genetics 96: 491–506

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Costa R and Beardmore J A 1980 Selection in a polymorphism with a rare allele.Genetica 54: 167–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costa R, Nigro L, Cambissa V, Jayakar S D, Zonta L, Beardmore J A 1985 Selection in highly inbred populations ofDrosophila melanogaster polymorphic at a single locus.Heredity 54: 195–202

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costa R, Nigro L and Danieli G A 1982 Evolutionary significance of an enzymatic polymorphism. InEvolution and the genetics of populations (eds) S D Jayakar and L ZontaSuppl. Atti Assoc. Genet. Ital. 29: 103–120

  • Costa R, Nigro L and Danieli G A 1983 Esterase-6 allozymes: biochemical studies of two common and one rare variant inDrosophila melanogaster.Biochem. Genet. 21: 191–197

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Danford N D and Beardmore J A 1979 Biochemical properties of esterase-6 inDrosophila melanogaster.Biochem. Genet. 17: 1–22

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Danford N D and Beardmore J A 1980 Selection at the esterase-6 locus inDrosophila melanogaster by added enzyme substrates in the culture medium.Genetica 50: 171–178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Jong G and Scharloo W 1976 Environmental determination of selective significance or neutrality of amylase variants inDrosophila melanogaster.Genetics 84: 77–94

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dolan R and Robertson A 1975 The effect of conditioning the food medium in Drosophila in relation to frequency dependent selection.Heredity 35: 311–316

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Franklin I R and Lewontin R C 1970 Is the gene the unit of selection?.Genetics 65: 707–734

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gibson J 1970 Enzyme flexibility inDrosophila melanogaster.Nature (London) 255: 149–151

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilbert D G and Richmond R C 1982 Studies of esterase-6 inDrosophila melanogaster. XII. Evidence for temperature selection ofEst-6 andAdh alleles.Genetica 58: 109–119

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoorn A J W and Scharloo W 1981 The functional significance of amylase polymorphism inDrosophila melanogaster. VI. Duration of development and amylase activity in larvae when starch is a limiting factor.Genetica 55: 195–201

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones J S and Yamazaki T 1974 Genetic background and the fitness of allozymes.Genetics 78: 1185–1189

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kojima K and Yarbrough K 1967 Frequency-dependent selection at the esterase-6 locus inDrosophila melanogaster.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 57: 645–649

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • MacIntyre R J and Wright T R F 1966 Responses of esterase-6 alleles ofDrosophila melanogaster to selection in experimental populations.Genetics 53: 371–375

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mane S D, Tepper C S and Richmond R C 1983a Studies of esterase-6 inDrosophila melanogaster. XIII. Purification and characterization of the two major isozymes.Biochem. Genet. 21: 1019–1040

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mane S D, Tompkins L and Richmond R C 1983b Male esterase-6 catalyzes the synthesis of a sex-pheromone inDrosophila melanogaster females.Science 222: 419–421

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marinkovic D and Ayala F J 1977 Fitness of allozyme variants inDrosophila pseudoobscura. III. Possible factors contributing to the maintenance of polymorphisms in nature.Genetica 47: 65–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKechnie S W, Kohane M and Phillips S C 1981 A search for interacting polymorphic enzyme loci inDrosophila melanogaster. InGenetic studies of Drosophila populations (eds) J B Gibson and J G Oakeshott (Canberra: Australian National University Press)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mittler S and Bennet J 1962 A simple food medium that requires no live yeast with the minimum of variables.Drosoph. Inf. Serv. 36: 131–132

    Google Scholar 

  • Nevo E, Beiles A and Ben Shlomo R 1984 The evolutionary significance of genetic diversity: ecological, demographic and life history correlates. InEvolutionary dynamics of genetic diversity (ed.) G S Mani (Haifa: Springer Verlag) 53: 13–212

    Google Scholar 

  • Nigro L, Costa R, Jayakar S D and Zonta L 1985Est-6 inDrosophila melanogaster. effects of genetic composition, temperature and oviposition period on fitness in laboratory populations polymorphic for rare alleles.Heredity 55: 83–91

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oakeshott J G 1979 Selection affecting enzyme polymorphism in laboratory populations ofDrosophila melanogaster.Oecologia 43: 341–354

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Palabost-Charles L 1982 Selection at the α-Gpdh locus in experimental populations ofDrosophila melanogaster.Biochem. Genet. 20: 461–474

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Powell J R and Andjelkovic M 1983 Population genetics of Drosophila amylase. IV. Selection in laboratory populations maintained on different carbohydrates.Genetics 103: 675–689

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schenfeld E and McKechnie S W 1979 The α-glycerophosphatase dehydrogenase (α-gpdh) polymorphism inDrosophila melanogaster: adult survival under temperature stress.Theor. Appl. Genet. 54: 235–237

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tepper C S, Richmond R C, Terry A L and Senior A 1982 Studies of esterase-6 inDrosophila melanogaster. XI. Modification of Esterase-6 activity by unlinked genes.Genet. Res. Camb. 40: 109–125

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tepper C S, Terry A L, Holmes J E and Richmond R C 1984 Studies of esterase-6 inDrosophila melanogaster. XIV. Variation of esterase-6 levels controlled by unlinked genes in natural populations.Genet. Res. Camb. 43: 181–190

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • van Delden W, Boerema A C and Kamping A 1978 The alcohol dehydrogenase polymorphism in populations ofDrosophila melanogaster. I. Selection in different environments.Genetics 90: 161–191

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • van Delden W, Kamping A and v. Dijk H 1975 Selection at the alcohol dehydrogenase locus inDrosophila melanogaster.Experientia 31: 418–420

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wills C and Nichols L 1971 Single gene heterosis revealed by inbreeding.Nature (London) 233: 123–125

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wills C, Phelps J and Ferguson R 1975 Further evidence for selective differences between isoalleles in Drosophila.Genetics 79: 127–141

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wright T R F 1963 The genetics of an esterase inDrosophila melanogaster.Genetics 48: 787–801

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yamazaki T, Kusakabe S, Tachida H, Ichinose M, Yashimaru H, Matsuo Y and Mukai T 1983 Reexamination of diversifying selection of polymorphic allozyme genes by using population cages inDrosophila melanogaster.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 80: 5789–5792

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yarbrough K and Kojima K 1967 The mode of selection at the polymorphic esterase-6 locus in cage populations ofDrosophila melanogaster.Genetics 57: 677–686

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zera A, Koehn R K and Hall J G 1983 Allozymes and biochemical adaptation. InComprehensive insect physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology (eds) G A Kerkut and L I Gilbert (New York: Pergamon) 10: 633–674

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Padua, Via Loredan 10, 35100, Padova, Italy

    Rodolfo Costa & Loredana Nigro

  2. The “A. Buzzati-Traverso” Department of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pavia, Via S. Epifanio 14, 27100, Pavia, Italy

    Laura Zonta & Suresh D Jayakar

Authors
  1. Rodolfo Costa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Laura Zonta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Suresh D Jayakar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Loredana Nigro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Costa, R., Zonta, L., Jayakar, S.D. et al. Esterase-6 polymorphism inDrosophila melanogaster:Effects of temperature and methyl malonate on genotypic trajectories in polymorphic populations set up with highly inbred lines. J. Genet. 65, 175–191 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02931150

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02931150

Keywords

Search

Navigation