Substrate-preference polymorphism at an esterase locus of Drosophila mojavensis.
In a larval esterase of Drosophila mojavensis there are alleles whose products preferentially hydrolyze alpha-naphthyl esters, whereas the majority of the alleles hydrolyze preferentially beta-naphthyl esters. In a collection of laboratory stocks alpha alleles have a frequency of 15%. Three different mobilities of alpha alleles were discovered, suggesting a polymorphism rather than a single mutation event. If substrate-preference polymorphisms are common among "multiple-substrate" enzymes (category II of Gillespie and Langley 1974), allozyme variation at these enzyme loci may well be maintained by balancing selection.
D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004330:Drosophila / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D004950:Esterases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D013379:Substrate Specificity
D004950:Esterases