Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Differential response to environmental alcohol among second-chromosome arrangements in experimental populations of Drosophila buzzatii

  • Published:
Genetica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Drosophila buzzatii feeds and breeds on the decaying cladodes and fruits of several species of Opuntia (prickly pear) which contain significant levels of ethanol and isopropanol. The potential influence of these two alcohols on the inversion polymorphism of the second and fourth chromosomes was investigated in ten experimental populations with different amounts of alcohol (either ethanol or isopropanol) added to the culture medium. All populations were started with the offspring of 29 wild females collected at Adeje (Tenerife, Canary Islands) and their genetic composition was monitored for about two years (more than 30 generations). Consistent changes in the frequency of most second- and fourth-chromosome arrangements occurred in all populations including those without alcohol (control). The comparison of inversion frequency through the various treatments revealed a significant influence of the alcohol on the frequency changes of the four second-chromosome arrangements. Moreover, this influence was of a different type for every one of them, sometimes with opposite effects between alcohols and/or concentrations. These results indicate genetic differentiation among second-chromosome arrangements with regard to alcohol and suggest that the alcohol heterogeneity found in the species' trophic niche may play an important role in the maintenance of this polymorphism and also in the recent historical changes in the frequency of some arrangements associated with colonization.

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

  • Anderson, W. W., Dobzhansky, Th. & Kastritis, C. D., 1967. Selection and inversion polymorphism in experimental populations of Drosophila pseudoobscura initiated with the chromosomal constitutions of natural populations. Evolution 21: 664–671.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, W. W., Dobzhansky, Th. & Pavlovsky, O., 1972. A natural population of Drosophila transferred to a laboratory environment. Heredity 28: 101–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barker, J. S. F., 1977. Cactus-breeding Drosophila: A system for the measurement of natural selection, p. 403–430. In: F. B., Christiansen & T., Fenchel (eds), Measuring selection in natural populations, Lecture Notes in Biomathematics, vol. 19, Springer, Berlin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Batterham, P., Starmer, W. T. & Sullivan, D. T., 1982. Biochemical genetics of the alcohol longevity response in Drosophila mojavensis, p. 307–321. In: J. S. F., Barker & W. T., Starmer (eds), Ecological genetics and evolution: The Cactus-Yeast-Drosophila model system. Academic Press, Sidney.

    Google Scholar 

  • Batterham, P., Chambers, G. K., Starmer, W. T. & Sullivan, D. T., 1984. Origin and expression of an alcohol dehydrogenase gene duplication in the genus Drosophila. Evolution 38: 644–657.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carson, H. L. & Wasserman, M., 1965. A widespread chromosomal polymorphism in a widespread species, Drosophila buzzatii. Am. Nat. 99: 111–115.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coluzzi, M., Sabatini, A., Petrarca, V. & Di, Deco, M. A., 1977. Behavioural divergences between mosquitoes with different inversion karyotypes in polymorphic populations of the Anopheles gambiae complex. Nature 266: 832–833.

    Google Scholar 

  • Da, Cunha, A. B., Dobzhansky, Th., Pavlovsky, O. & Spassky, B., 1959. Genetics of natural populations. XXVIII. Supplementary data on the chromosomal polymorphism in Drosophila willistoni in its relation to the environment. Evolution 13: 389–404.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daggard, J. E., 1981. Alcohol dehydrogenase, aldehyde oxidase and alcohol utilization in Drosophila melanogaster, D. simulans, D. inmigrans and D. buskii, p. 59–76. In: J. B., Gibson & J. G., Oakeshott (eds), Genetic studies of Drosophila populations, Australian Nat. Univ. Press, Canberra.

    Google Scholar 

  • David, J., 1962. A new medium for rearing Drosophila in axenic conditions. Dros. Inf. Serv. 36: 128.

    Google Scholar 

  • David, J. & Bocquet, C., 1975. Similarities and differences in latitudinal adaptation of two Drosophila sibling species. Nature 257: 588–590.

    Google Scholar 

  • David, J. & Bocquet, C., 1976. Compared toxicities of different alcohols for two Drosophila siblings species: D. melanogaster and D. simulans. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 54c: 71–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • David, J., Bocquet, C., Van, Herrewege, J., Fouillet, P. & Arens, M., 1978. Alcohol metabolism in D. melanogaster: uselessness of the most active aldehyde oxidase produced by the Aldox-locus. Biochem. Genet. 16: 203–211.

    Google Scholar 

  • David, J. & Tsacas, L., 1980. Cosmopolitan, subcosmopolitan and widespread species: different strategies within the Drosophilid family (Diptera). C. R. Soc. Biogeogr. 57: 11–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fontdevila, A., Ruiz, A., Alonso, G. & Ocaña, J., 1981. The evolutionary history of Drosophila buzzatii. I. Natural chromosomal polymorphism in colonized populations of the Old World. Evolution 35: 148–157.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fontdevila, A., Ruiz, A., Ocaña, J. & Alonso, G., 1982. The evolutionary history of Drosophila buzzatii. II. How much has chromosomal polymorphism changed in colonization? Evolution 36: 843–851.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibson, J. B. & Oakeshott, J. G. (eds), 1981. Genetic studies of Drosophila populations. Australian Nat. Univ. Press, Canberra.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hedrick, P. W., Ginevan, M. E. & Ewing, E. P., 1976. Genetic polymorphism in heterogeneous environments. Ann. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 7: 1–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heed, W. B., 1978. Ecology and genetics of Sonoran desert Drosophila, p. 109–126. In: P. F., Brussard (ed.), Ecological genetics: The interface. Springer, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heinstra, P. W. H., Eisses, Th., Schoonen, W. G. E. J., Aben, W., De, Winter, A. J., Van der, Horst, D. J., Van, Marrewijk, W. J. A., Beenakkers, A. M. Th., Scharloo, W. & Thörig, G. E. W., 1983. A dual function of alcohol dehydrogenase in Drosophila. Genetica 60: 129–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Larochelle, C., Cote, J. & Garcin, F., 1984. The ethanol metabolic pathway in D. melanogaster and D. simulans. Dros. Inf. Serv. 60: 135–136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewontin, R. C., Ginzburg, L. R. & Tuljapurkar, S. D., 1978. Heterosis as an explanation for large amounts of genic polymorphism. Genetics 88: 149–170.

    Google Scholar 

  • McDonald, J. F. & Ayala, F. J., 1978. Genetic and biochemical basis of enzyme activity variation in natural populations. I. Alcohol dehydrogenase in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 89: 371–388.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohn, N. & Spiess, E. B., 1963. Cold resistance of karyotypes in Drosophila persimilis from Timberline of California. Evolution 17: 548–563.

    Google Scholar 

  • Naveira, H., Pla, C. & Fontdevila, A., 1986. The evolutionary history of Drosophila buzzatii. XI. A new method for cytogenetic localization based on asynapsis of polytene chromosomes in interspecific hybrids of Drosophila. Genetica 71: 199–212.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oakeshott, J. G., Chambers, G. K., East, P. D., Gibson, J. B. & Barker, J. S. F., 1982. Evidence for a genetic duplication involving alcohol dehydrogenase genes in Drosophila buzzatii and related species. Aust. J. Sci. 35: 73–84.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parsons, P. A., 1981. Longevity of cosmopolitan and native Australian Drosophila in ethanol atmospheres. Aust. J. Zool. 29: 33–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Powell, J. R. & Taylor, C. E., 1979. Genetic variation in ecologically diverse environments. Amer. Sci. 67: 590–596.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prevosti, A., 1974. La distancia genética entre poblaciones. Miscellanea Alcobé: 109–118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruiz, A., Fontdevila, A. & Wasserman, M., 1982. The evolutionary history of Drosophila buzzatii. III. Cytogenetic relationships between two sibling species of the buzzatii cluster. Genetics 101: 503–518.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruiz, A. & Fontdevila, A., 1985. The evolutionary history of Drosophila buzzatii. VI. Adaptive chromosomal changes in experimental populations with natural substrates. Genetica 66: 63–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruiz, A., Naveira, H. & Fontdevila, A., 1984. La historia evolutiva de Drosophila buzzatti. IV. Aspectos citogenéticos de su polimorfismo cromosómico. Genét. ibér. 36: 13–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Santos, M. & Fontdevila, A., 1985. Selection at the Adh locus of Drosophila buzzatii. Genet. ibér. 38: 1–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sokal, R. R. & Rohlf, F. J., 1981. Biometry (2nd ed.), Freeman and Co., San Francisco.

    Google Scholar 

  • Starmer, W. T., Heed, W. B. & Rockwood-Sluss, E. S., 1977. Extension of longevity in Drosophila mojavensis by environmental ethanol: differences between subraces. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74: 387–391.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strickberger, M. W. & Wills, C. J., 1966. Monthly frequency changes of Drosophila pseudoobscura third chromosome arrangements in a California locality. Evolution 20: 592–602.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, C. E. & Powell, J. R., 1983. Population structure of Drosophila: Genetics and ecology, p. 29–59. In: M., Ashburner, H. L., Carson & J. N., Thompson (eds), The genetics and biology of Drosophila, Vol. 3d, Academic Press, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wrigth, S., 1978. Evolution and the genetics of populations, Vol. 4, Variability within and among natural populations, Univ. Chicago Press, Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zouros, E., 1976. Distribution of enzyme and inversion polymorphism over the genome of Drosophila: evidence against balancing selection. Genetics 83: 169–179.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain

    A. Ruiz, M. Santos & A. Fontdevila

Authors
  1. A. Ruiz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. Santos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. Fontdevila
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

This paper is number X of the series ‘The evolutionary history of Drosophila buzzatii’.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ruiz, A., Santos, M. & Fontdevila, A. Differential response to environmental alcohol among second-chromosome arrangements in experimental populations of Drosophila buzzatii . Genetica 75, 219–229 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00123577

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00123577

Keywords

Search

Navigation