Open AccessThe biochemical genetics of rudimentary mutants of Drosophila melanogaster
Author(s) -
NØRBY SØREN
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
hereditas
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.819
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1601-5223
pISSN - 0018-0661
DOI - 10.1111/j.1601-5223.1973.tb01061.x
Subject(s) - biology , aspartate carbamoyltransferase , drosophila melanogaster , locus (genetics) , mutant , genetics , carbamoyl phosphate synthetase , enzyme , pyrimidine metabolism , wild type , uracil , strain (injury) , biochemistry , gene , dna , anatomy , allosteric regulation , purine
Aspartate carbamoyltransferase (ACT) levels were determined in larvae from two completely complementing and one non‐complementing rudimentary strain, as well as in wild‐type larvae. The levels were low in the non‐complementing and in one of the complementing strains, whereas the other complementing strain had wild‐type levels. When viewed together with the previous findings of a nutritional requirement for pyrimidines in the non‐complementing strain, that can be satisfied by carbamoyl aspartate, these results indicate that the rudimentary locus determines the first two enzyme activities in the pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway; carbamoyl phosphate synthetase and aspartate carbamoyltransferase. Addition of uracil to the culture medium caused no decrease in the level of ACT in wild type or ACT‐positive rudimentary larvae indicating that end product repression of this enzyme does not take place in Drosophila .