title: Oxygen-induced changes in hemoglobin expression in Drosophila.
abstract: The hemoglobin gene 1 (dmeglob1) of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is expressed in the tracheal system and fat body, and has been implicated in hypoxia resistance. Here we investigate the expression levels of dmeglob1 and lactate dehydrogenase (a positive control) in embryos, third instar larvae and adult flies under various regimes of hypoxia and hyperoxia. As expected, mRNA levels of lactate dehydrogenase increased under hypoxia. We show that expression levels of dmeglob1 are decreased under both short- and long-term hypoxia, compared with the normoxic (21% O2) control. By contrast, a hypoxia/reoxygenation regime applied to third instar larvae elevated the level of dmeglob1 mRNA. An excess of O2 (hyperoxia) also triggered an increase in dmeglob1 mRNA. The data suggest that Drosophila hemoglobin may be unlikely to function merely as a myoglobin-like O2 storage protein. Rather, dmeglob1 may protect the fly from an excess of O2, either by buffering the flux of O2 from the tracheoles to the cells or by degrading noxious reactive oxygen species.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Genetics, University of Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gleixner
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Abriss
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Adryan
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kraemer
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gerlach
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schuh
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Burmester
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hankeln
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000235:genetics*; D018496:Hyperoxia; D000860:Hypoxia; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics; D007814:Larva; D010100:Oxygen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D006454:Hemoglobins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D010100:Oxygen