Genetic and hormonal regulation of esterase 6 activity in male Drosophila melanogaster.
The esterase 6 locus in Drosophila melanogaster is the structural gene for a carboxylesterase (E.C. 3.1.1.1) and is polymorphic for two major electrophoretic variants (slow and fast). Isogenic lines containing X chromosomes extracted from natural populations and substituted into a common genetic background were used to detect unlinked factors that affect the activity of the Est 6 locus. Twofold activity differences of esterase 6 were found among males from these derived lines, which differ only in their X chromosome. These unlinked activity modifiers identify possible regulatory elements. Immunoelectrophoresis was used to estimate quantitatively the levels of specific cross-reacting material in the derived lines. The results show that the variation in activity is due to differences in the amount of EST 6 present. Physiological studies of the control of EST 6 levels reveal that both juvenile hormone and 20 hydroxyecdysone stimulate the production of EST 6 activity in adult males. These results suggest that the effects of X chromosomes on EST 6 activity may be effected by modulating the level of adult hormone titers in Drosophila.
D000818:Animals; D043182:Carboxylesterase; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D005796:Genes / Q000187:drug effects; D014644:Genetic Variation; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007605:Juvenile Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D007527:Isoenzymes; D007605:Juvenile Hormones; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases; D043182:Carboxylesterase; C468266:Est-6 protein, Drosophila