Skip to main content
Genetics logoLink to Genetics
. 1976 Jul;83(3):517–535.

Genetics of Acetylcholinesterase in DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

Jeffrey C Hall 1, Douglas R Kankel 1
PMCID: PMC1213530  PMID: 821817

Abstract

Genes in Drosophila melanogaster that control acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were searched for by segmental aneuploidy techniques. Homogenates of flies containing duplications or deletions for different segments were assayed for enzyme activity. A region on the third chromosome was found for which flies having one does consistently gave lower AChE activity than euploid flies, which were in turn had lower activity than flies with three doses. The activity differences were in the approximate ratio 1:2:3. Fine structure deletion mapping within this region revealed a very small segment for which one-dose flies have approximately half-normal activity. To obtain putative AchE-null mutations, lethal mutations within this region were assayed. Four allelic lethals have approximately half-normal activity in heterozygous condition. These lethals probably define the structural locus (symbol: Ace) for AChE.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1.8 MB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Baillie D. L., Chovnick A. Studies on the genetic control of tryptophan pyrrolase in Drosophila melanogaster. Mol Gen Genet. 1971;112(4):341–353. doi: 10.1007/BF00334435. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bowman J. T., Simmons J. R. Gene modulation in Drosophila: dosage compensation of Pgd+ and Zw+ genes. Biochem Genet. 1973 Dec;10(4):319–331. doi: 10.1007/BF00485987. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. DAVIS B. J. DISC ELECTROPHORESIS. II. METHOD AND APPLICATION TO HUMAN SERUM PROTEINS. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1964 Dec 28;121:404–427. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1964.tb14213.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Dewhurst S. A., Seecof R. L. Development of acetylcholine metabolizing enzymes in Drosophila embryos and in cultures of embryonic drosophila cells. Comp Biochem Physiol C. 1975 Jan 1;50(1):53–58. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. KARNOVSKY M. J., ROOTS L. A "DIRECT-COLORING" THIOCHOLINE METHOD FOR CHOLINESTERASES. J Histochem Cytochem. 1964 Mar;12:219–221. doi: 10.1177/12.3.219. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Kankel D. R., Hall J. C. Fate mapping of nervous system and other internal tissues in genetic mosaics of Drosophila melanogaster. Dev Biol. 1976 Jan;48(1):1–24. doi: 10.1016/0012-1606(76)90041-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. LOWRY O. H., ROSEBROUGH N. J., FARR A. L., RANDALL R. J. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 1951 Nov;193(1):265–275. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Lindsley D. L., Sandler L., Baker B. S., Carpenter A. T., Denell R. E., Hall J. C., Jacobs P. A., Miklos G. L., Davis B. K., Gethmann R. C. Segmental aneuploidy and the genetic gross structure of the Drosophila genome. Genetics. 1972 May;71(1):157–184. doi: 10.1093/genetics/71.1.157. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Maroni G., Plaut W. Dosage Compensation in DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER Triploids. II. Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Activity. Genetics. 1973 Jun;74(2):331–342. doi: 10.1093/genetics/74.2.331. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Nicoletti B, Lindsley D L. Translocations between the X and the Y Chromosomes of Drosophila Melanogaster. Genetics. 1960 Dec;45(12):1705–1722. doi: 10.1093/genetics/45.12.1705. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. O'Brien S. J., Gethmann R. C. Segmental aneuploidy as a probe for structural genes in Drosophila: mitochondrial membrane enzymes. Genetics. 1973 Sep;75(1):155–167. doi: 10.1093/genetics/75.1.155. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Tobler J., Bowman J. T., Simmons J. R. Gene modulation in Drosophila: dosage compensation and relocated v + genes. Biochem Genet. 1971 Apr;5(2):111–117. doi: 10.1007/BF00485639. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Genetics are provided here courtesy of Oxford University Press

RESOURCES