THE -GLYCEROPHOSPHATE IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER II. GENETIC ASPECTS

Stephen J. O'Brien ¹ and Ross J. Macintyre ¹

¹ Section of Genetics, Development and Physiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850

Seven alleles of the -Glycerophosphate dehydrogenase-1 (Gpdh-1) locus of Drosophila melanogaster have been described. These include two naturally occurring electrophoretic variants, one EMS-induced electrophoretic variant, and four EMS-induced "null" or "zero" mutants. With the electrophoretic variants, the locus was mapped to II-20.5 ± 2.5. A complementation matrix was prepared utilizing the null mutants. Three of the four mutants and a deletion of the locus (Grell 1967) exhibit dosage dependency. The dosage independent mutant exhibits complementation with two of the other null alleles. Flies genetically deficient in -glycerophosphate dehydrogenase are fertile, but their relative viability is severely diminished. Such flies also lose the ability to sustain flight, an observation consistent with the enzyme's function in energy production. The levels of mitochondrial -glycerophosphate oxidase, measured in flies genetically deficient in the cytoplasmic enzyme, were normal.

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