Vol. 81, No. 4, 1978 April 28, 1978

BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH C@MMUNICATIONS Pages

GENETIC MANIPULATION

1180-1186

OF CYCLIC AMP LEVELS

IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER Ronald

L. Davis

and John A. Kiger,

Jr.

Department of Genetics University of California Davis, CA 95616

Received

March

7,1978 SUMMARY

Cyclic AMP levels in Drosophila melanogaster adults can be altered genetically by changing the number of doses of chromomere 3D4 contained in the genome, a chromomere previously shown to control the activity of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase in a dose-dependent manner. Flies completely deficient for chromomere 3D4 have 2-7 times the cyclic AMP level of flies with one or two doses of chromomere 3D4. Cyclic AMP levels are significantly depressed in flies carrying three doses of 3D4. Cyclic GMP levels are not influenced in a dose-dependent manner by chromomere 3D4. The effect on cyclic AMP levels may provide a useful system for investigating physiological and developmental consequences of aberrant cyclic AMP levels in the intact organism. The cyclic

nucleotides,

3',5'-monophosphate, processes pletely

have been

and it

is

understood

these

molecules

trieved

after

clear (1).

of cyclic

nucleotide

analogues

but

to study

vised

genetic

that Most

these

3',5'-monophosphate

implicated

studies

levels substances

the role techniques

of cyclic

cells

by dissection.

AMP in

to manipulate

other

to be comfunction

or on tissues

of

realteration

by the use of drugs unknown

the intact

cyclic

yet

regulatory

Experimental

been effected

may possess

are

the biological

on cultured

has often

of cellular

functions

examining

the.organism

and guanosine

in a number

many of their

have been performed violating

order

adenosine

functions.

organism,

AMP levels

In

we have de-

in Drosophila

anogaster. There anogaster activation

are which

two major differ

and molecular

cyclic in heat

AMP phosphodiesterase stability,

weight

(2).

magnesium Chromomere

0006-291X/78/0814-1180$01,00/0 Copyright 0 1978 by Academic Press, Inc. AU rights of reproduction in any form reserved.

enzymes

1180

requirement,

or

in 2. acalcium

3D4 of the X-chromosome

mel-

BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

Vol. 81, No. 4, 1978

is responsible labile,

for

the presence

has a higher

the other

enzyme.

enzyme since of doses

magnesium Chromomere

the level

of this

of chromomere

3D4 in

sence of this

of one of these

enzyme activity

of cyclic

AMP in whole

by varying

the number

g.

requirement

enzymes,

and a lower

3D4 may contain

melanogaster

of doses

flies

of chromomere

MATERIALS

weight

gene for

proportional

and its

This

(2,3).

is

is more heat-

molecular

the structural

enzyme activity the genome,

which

absence

report

this

to the number results

demonstrates

can be manipulated 3D4 contained

than

in

in that

the abthe level

genetically the genome.

AND METHODS

The polytene chromosome cytology of chromosomal aberrations employed in these studies is shown in Figure 1. The crosses performed and the genotypes of the relevant progeny produced are indicated in Table 1. Progeny with genotypes containing 0, 1, 2, or 3 doses of chromomere 3D4 were selected on the basis of phenotypic expression of included markers. Base is a multiply inverted X-chromosome carrying the dominant marker --Bar (B) eyes, which may be recognized in either the homozygous or heterozygous state. Notch+ is a haplo-insufficient locus and when present in only 1 dose is recognized b a dominant notched wing effect. The white+(w+) eye duplication, Pb7, includes Dp(l;2)w+5 chromomere 3D4 and is inserted i