Abstract
The sex-linked Pgd + and Zw + genes of Drosophila melanogaster and their associated enzyme activities 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase were employed in an analysis of the relationship between dosage compensation and the location of genes in the genome. In the genotypes examined, the enzyme activity specified by each copy of the gene is twice in males what it is in females. This is true of normal, structurally rearranged, and duplication genotypes. Dosage compensation, therefore, is a regulatory function associated with single structural genes or small chromosomal segments and does not depend on the gene's physical location on the X chromosome.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Britten, R. J., and Davidson, E. H. (1969). Gene regulation for higher cells: A theory. Science 165349.
Grell, E. H. (1962). The dose effect of ma-1 + and ry + on xanthine dehydrogenase activity in Drosophila melanogaster. Z. Vererbungsl. 93371.
Grell, E. H. (1969). Induction of duplications of genes which specify enzymes in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 61:s23 (abst.).
Holmquist, G. (1972). Transcription rates of individual polytene chromosome bands: Effect of gene dose and sex in Drosophila. Chromosoma (Berl.) 36413.
Judd, B. H., Shen, M. W., and Kaufman, T. C. (1972). The anatomy and function of a segment of the X chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 71139.
Kaufman, S. (1962). Studies on tryptophan pyrrolase in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 45807.
Kazazian, H. H., Young, W. J., and Childs, B. (1965). X-linked 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase in Drosophila: Subunit association. Science 1501601.
Komma, D. J. (1966). Effect of sex transformation genes on glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 54497.
Layne, E. (1963). Spectrophotometric and turbimetric methods for measuring proteins. In Colowick, S. P., and Kaplan, N. D. (eds.), Methods in Enzymology, Vol. III, Academic Press, New York, pp. 448–450.
Lindsley, D. L., and Grell, E. H. (1968). Genetic Variations of Drosophila melanogaster, Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication No. 627.
Mitchell, H. K., and Mitchell, A. (1965). Mass culture and age selection in Drosophila. Drosophila Inform. Serv. 39135.
Muller, H. J. (1933). Further studies on the nature and cause of gene mutations. Proc. 6th Internat. Congr. Genet. (Ithaca) 1213.
Muller, H. J. (1950). Evidence of the precision of genetic adaptation. In The Harvey Lectures, Series XLIII, 1947–1948, pp. 165–229.
Muller, H. J., and Kaplan, W. D. (1966). The dosage compensation of Drosophila and mammals as showing the accuracy of the normal type. Genet. Res. 841.
Seecof, R. L., Kaplan, W. D., and Futch, D. G. (1969). Dosage compensation for enzyme activities in Drosophila melanogaster. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 62528.
Tartof, K. D. (1969). Interacting gene systems. I. The regulation of tryptophan pyrrolase by the vermilion-suppressor of vermilion system in Drosophila. Genetics 62781.
Tobler, J., Bowman, J. T., and Simmons, J. R. (1971). Gene modulation in Drosophila: Dosage compensation and relocated v + genes. Biochem. Genet. 5111.
Young, W. J. (1966). X-linked electrophoretic variation in 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase. J. Hered. 5758.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was supported by NIH Grant No. 5-R01-HD04859.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bowman, J.T., Simmons, J.R. Gene modulation in Drosophila: Dosage compensation of Pgd + and Zw + genes. Biochem Genet 10, 319–331 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00485987
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00485987