title: Variation in sex-, stage- and tissue-specific expression of the amylase genes in Drosophila ananassae.
abstract: Expression of the amylase multigene family of Drosophila ananassae was investigated in third-instar larvae and adults. A developmental differentiation was found between the Amy1-2 and Amy3-4 gene clusters, the former being preferentially expressed in larvae, the latter in adults. During adult life, we observed a decrease in Amy1-2 expression in males of certain strans. We have raised some arguments for the existence of trans-active regulators, acting as repressors of Amy1-2 in adults. The putative repressors might exhibit a geographical polymorphism, with a fixed active form in Pacific regions and a polymorphic pattern in Africa, thus increasing the diversity observed in adult amylase phenotypes. A clear differentiation between the two gene clusters was also found in tissue-specific activity along the third-instar larval midgut. In the anterior midgut, only Amy1-2 is active, while both gene groups are expressed in the posterior midgut, with an additional subzonation within it.
authors.affiliation: UPR Population, Génétique et Evolution, CNRS, Gif sur Yvette, France.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Da Lage
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Klarenberg
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cariou
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000681:Amylases / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004330:Drosophila / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics*; D007814:Larva / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005810:Multigene Family; D010641:Phenotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D000681:Amylases