Adult Male Flies Research Articles

Chemistry of fruit flies. Composition of the rectal gland secretion of (male) Dacus cucumis (cucumber fly) and Dacus halfordiae. Characterization of (Z,Z)-2,8-dimethyl-1,7-dioxaspiro[5.5]undecane

Combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and synthesis have established that the major components of the rectal gland secretion of adult male cucumber flies (Dacus cucumis) are the E,E, E,Z, and Z,Z diastereomers of 2,8-dimethyl-l,7-dioxaspiro[5.5]undecane, which have been synthesized utilizing organomercury chemistry from l,10-undecadien-6-one. The thermodynamically least stable Z,Z diastereomer has been characterized for the first time, byH andC NMR measurements and mass spectrometry. Minor amounts of 3-hydroxy-2,8-dimethyl-l,7-dioxaspiro[5.5]undecane and various derivatives of the l,6-dioxaspiro[4.5]decane and 1,7-dioxaspiro[5.6]dodecane systems are also present. 1,3-Nonanediol occurs in significant amounts, and both enantiomers have been acquired by Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation of (E)-2-nonen-l-ol followed by Red-Al (Aldrich) reduction of the chiral epoxy alcohols. Chiral gas chromatographic analysis of the diols (as their cyclic carbonates) has demonstrated that the natural material is the R-(-) enantiomer. Natural (E,Z)-2,8-dimethyl-l,7-dioxaspiro-[5.5]undecane is shown to be racemic, whereas the more abundant E,E diastereomer is enantiomerically highly pure, possessing the 2S,6R,8S configuration. The major volatile component of the rectal gland secretion of male Dacus halfordiae (Tryon) is also (E,E)-2,8-dimethyl-l,7-dioxaspiro[5.5]undecane, with no detectable levels of the E,Z or Z,Z isomers. Other spiroacetals present were 2-ethyl-7-methyl-l,6-dioxaspiro[4.5)decane and the unusual even carbon-numbered (E,E)-2-ethyl-8-methyl-l,7-dioxaspiro[5.5]undecane. 6-Oxo-l-nonanol, diethyl succinate, and 2-methyl-6-pentyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran were also identified.

Sexually Dimorphic Neurons of the Terminalia ofDrosophila Melanogaster: II. Sex-Specific Axonal Arborizations in the Central Nervous System

In order to understand how the peripheral nervous system in male and female flies differ, I have determined the projection pattern of sensory neurons that innervate the sex-specific adult terminalia, the genitalia and analia, of Drosophila melanogaster. In the adult male and female fly, mechanosensory bristles arranged on the external terminalia are innervated by sensory neurons that arborize in the abdominal ganglion. The distribution of axonal arbors differs between males and females. In males, sensory neurons terminate in a greater variety of patterns over a larger area of neuropil than those in females. Mutations in a sex-determining gene (transformer-2, tra-2,) which regulates the development of secondary sexual characteristics in somatic tissues, cause female flies to be transformed into phenotypic males. The sensory neurons of the terminalia are also transformed leading them to arborize appropriately for male neurons.

Effect of hydrogen peroxide administration on life span, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione in the adult housefly, Musca domestica

The general objective of this study was to further elucidate the relationship between oxidative stress and the aging process. H 2O 2 is known to be a progenator of reactive oxygen species, such as hydroxyl free radical, by various mechanisms involving, among others, a superoxide anion radical-driven Fenton cycle, or splitting of the 0−0 bond by hemoproteins. Effects of H 2O 2 administration on life span, activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, concentrations of endogenous H 2O 2, and glutathione in the housefly are described. Adult male flies were given various concentrations of H 2O 2, ranging from 0 to 100 mM H 2O 2, in their drinking water. Life span was shortened by H 2O 2 intake except in 10 mM H 2O 2 administrated flies, which exhibited the longest life span. Flies administered mM H 2O 2 also contained the highest concentration of reduced glutathione (GSH). Superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were not affected by H 2O 2 intake. Compensatory elevation in GSH may be responsible for the increase in life span observed in 10 mM H 2O 2 administered flies.

Investigation of coffee in Drosophila genotoxicity tests

Two preparations of coffee (instant coffee and freeze-dried home-brew coffee) were tested in different mutagenicity assays in germ cells as well as in somatic cells of Drosophila melanogaster. The three end-points assayed in germ cells were sex-linked recessive lethals (mainly gene mutations and small chromosome aberrations), dominant lethals (cytotoxic effects as well as genotoxic effects) and sex-chromosome losses (chromosome breakage and non-disjunction). The aqueous coffee solutions were fed either to adult male flies for 3 days or to growing larvae during the whole larval development. Treated males were crossed with appropriately marked females, and the different genetic end-points were analysed in the F 1 or F 2 generation. The test concentrations (instant coffee 4% (w/v), home-brew coffee 3%) were acutely toxic in adult males (killing approximately 75 and 90% of the exposed flies, respectively). No increase in deaths was caused in larvae by the same concentrations. Only cytotoxic effects were observed in the test for dominant lethals. No conclusive genotoxic effects could be detected in any of the three germ cell assays. The coffee preparations were also tested for induction of mutation and mitotic recombination in somatic cells of the wing imaginal disc. Larvae trans-heterozygous for two recessive wing hair markers were fed high concentrations of the coffees for varying periods of time. Wings of surviving adult flies were analysed for mosaic spots. Twin spots exhibiting both mutant phenotypes are produced by mitotic recombination; single spots showing one or the other phenotype are the result of somatic mutation, such as gene mutation or deletion, or of mitotic recombination. Both coffees had weak effects on normal (repair-proficient) cells as well as on excision repair-defective cells in this assay. Additional experiments with pure caffeine and decaffeinated coffee show that these weak effects in somatic cells were most probably caused by the caffeine present in the two coffees.

Seasonal Distribution and Abundance of Adult Male Oriental Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Kula, Maui, Hawaii

Seasonal occurrence of the oriental fruit fly, Dacus dorsalis Hendel, was monitored from 1979 to 1981. Sixty plastic traps baited with methyl eugenol were used to catch adult males in the Kula area of Maui, Hawaii. Total flies caught in the 60 traps were 188,636, 414,504, and 247,397 for 1979, 1980, and 1981, respectively. D. dorsalis activity peaked during late November 1979, early October 1980, and July 1981. In 1981, trap catches were significantly correlated with fruit infestations between 14 and 16 weeks following fruit collections. In all 3 years, significantly more flies were caught in lower elevations than in higher elevations. There were no significant differences in numbers of flies caught in 46 traps placed on host plants compared to those caught in 14 traps placed on nonhost plants. In some cases, however, significant year-to-year differences in trap catches were found for particular sites.

The induction of ribosome biosynthesis in a nonmitotic secretory tissue.

Many investigations of the biosynthesis of ribosomes have revealed that ribosome numbers increase with growth rate in a parallel fashion. However, we have now shown that there is also a need for active ribosome synthesis in a nonmitotic tissue which is induced to secrete. The paragonial glands of Drosophila melanogaster produce and secrete proteins that are found in the seminal fluid. Following even a single copulation event these glands are substantially reduced in size, but rapidly refill, synthesizing new secretion proteins (Chen, P.S. 1980) in Invertebrate Systems in Vitro (Kurstak, E., Maramorosch, K., and Dubendorfer, A., eds) pp. 303-313, Elsevier, Amsterdam) Anticipating that paragonial gland cells might require more ribosomes to accomplish this burst of protein synthesis, we injected 10-day-old adult male flies with either [32P] phosphate or [35S]methionine, allowed them to copulate (40 +/- 20 min after injection), and then measured the amounts of rRNA and ribosomal protein synthesis taking place with time. There is clearly a burst of ribosome synthesis starting as early as 30 min after copulation and declining after 6 h. This is evidenced by the coordinate accumulation of labeled rRNAs and ribosomal proteins. However, further experiments showed that there is no concomitant rise in the accumulation of ribosomal protein mRNAs. This suggests that these mRNAs are underutilized in the paragonial glands before copulation and more actively translated after copulation. A stimulation of translation of ribosomal proteins is then well-coordinated with increased rRNA transcription, but an increase of ribosomal protein mRNAs is not coordinated with these events. Both the up- and down-regulation of ribosome biosynthesis need not be coupled to cell growth or a specific developmental schedule, but rather may be due to the need for secretory protein synthesis.

Distribution and Seasonal Abundance of Adult Male Mediterranean Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Kula, Maui, Hawaii

Seasonal occurrence of the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata [Wiedemann]) was determined with 250 plastic (Nadel) traps baited with trimedlure to catch adult males in the Kula area of Maui, Hawaii, from 1978 to 1981. Adult C. capitata activity peaked during the week ending 27 June 1978 and 1979, during 15 May 1980 and 4 September 1981. Trap catches were significantly correlated with fruit infestations from weeks 10 to 12 following fruit collections for 1979 through 1981. In all 4 years, significantly more flies were caught in the 130 traps placed in host trees than in the 120 traps of nonhost trees. Few significant differences were evident among traps placed at different elevations (575 to 1,125 m) for all 4 years. However, high trap catches were correlated with high numbers of host trees surrounding each trap site. Results indicated that the host tree was the primary attractant and the baited trap was the secondary attractant.

Drosophila maternal and embryo mRNAs transcribed from a single transcription unit use alternate combinations of exons.

We have investigated the organization and transcription of several genes in Drosophila melanogaster which are clustered on an 18-kb cloned DNA fragment (c25) that maps at 99D on the cytogenetic map. Multiple mRNAs, transcribed from genes which lie adjacent to a ribosomal protein ( rp49 ) gene, are present during oogenesis, embryogenesis, or both. At least five mRNAs are transcribed from one of these genes ( EH8 ); three are zygotic transcripts, of which two are blastoderm stage-specific, whereas two others accumulate during oogenesis and are therefore matenal mRNAs. The complex transcription pattern of this gene indicates that alternate usage of protein-coding exons results in the production of different mRNAs with different coding capabilities during oogenesis and embryogenesis. The EH8 transcription unit is framed by genes actively expressed in the adult male fly; thus, the blastoderm stage-specific promoter may be silent although within a region of transcriptionally active chromatin.

20-Hydroxyecdysone stimulates the accumulation of translatable yolk polypeptide gene transcript in adult male Drosophila melanogaster.

Yolk polypeptide (YP) synthesis is hormonally stimulated during maturation of adult female Drosophila melanogaster. Synthesis of the three YPs is sex specific and occurs in fat body cells and follicle cells of adult females. However, males have been shown to produce YPs when treated with the steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20-HE). By using a cell-free translation system as an assay for YP mRNA, we found that 20-HE also causes the accumulation of translatable YP message in males. In addition, hybridization of cloned copies of genes for both YP1 and YP3 to total RNA from males showed that 20-HE caused the appearance of YP gene transcripts in males. Eight hours after treatment of males with 20-HE, YP gene transcript levels had increased at least 25-fold to approximately 2.7 x 10(6) copies of YP1 gene transcript per adult male fly. In normal adult females, there were 42 x 10(6) copies per fly by 24 hr. There was neither detectable YP synthesis nor translatable YP gene transcript in either normal 1- to 3-day-old males or 24-hr-old males treated with a juvenile hormone analogue. This evidence shows that 20-HE acts to regulate the levels of translatable YP mRNA in male Drosophila.

Developmental and tissue‐specific control of catalase expression in Drosophila melanogaster: Correlations with rates of enzyme synthesis and degradation

AbstractThe ontogenetic and tissue‐specific expression of catalase (E.C. 1.11.1.6) has been determined in a wild type strain of Drosophila melanogaster derived from a natural population. Two distinct peaks of activity are observed during development with the first peak occurring in late third instar larvae just prior to puparium formation, and the second and larger of the two peaks occurring during metamorphosis. These peaks of catalase activity are coincident with the two major peaks of ecdysone titer. Of the tissues assayed, larval malpighian tubules, gut, and fat body demonstrated the highest specific activities. Adult abdomen exhibited a two‐ to three‐fold higher specific activity than either head or thorax. Of the abdominal tissues assayed, malpighian tubules and abdominal wall had the highest specific activities. Malpighian tubules were the only sexually dimorphic tissue with respect to catalase activity and are apparently largely responsible for an overall increase observed in female abdominal activity. Catalase‐specific CRM levels parallel the enzyme activity levels indicating that these tissue‐specific activity differences reflect differences in the rate of accumulation of catalase molecules.Turnover studies employing the catalase inhibitor 3‐amino‐1,2,4‐triazole were conducted on head, thorax, and abdomen of male adult flies. Rates of catalase degradation were similar in the three body segments with a slightly higher rate in abdominal tissue. Therefore the different steady state levels observed largely reflect different rates of catalase synthesis.

Mutagenicity of Tenebrionid Flour Beetle Secretions Using Drosophila melanogaster Sex-Linked Recessive Lethal Test

The Tribolium spp. beetles are the most common tenebrionids infesting flour and other stored foods. 2-Ethyl-1, 4-benzoquinone (EBQ) and 2-methyl-1, 4-benzoquinone (MBQ) are the major secretory products of these insects. Benzoquinones are highly reactive compounds which have been reported to be acutely toxic and carcinogenic to laboratory animals. Using the Drosophila melanogaster sex-linked recessive lethal test, we examined the mutagenicity of EBQ and MBQ. Feeding concentrations of 1mM EBQ and 2mM MBQ in 1% sucrose resulted in 72-h mortalities of 25% for EBQ and 39% for MBQ in adult Canton-S male flies. A comparable mortality rate for negative control insects fed 1% sucrose was 2.5%, while positive control flies fed 1mM ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) in 1% sucrose resulted in a 2.3% mortality rate. Mutation rates resulting from these exposure levels are as follows: negative control, 0.03%; positive control, 16.05%; 1mM EBQ, 0.16%; and 2mM MBQ, 0.13%. The mutation rates for flies fed EBQ and MBQ were significantly higher (p<0.005 for EBQ and p<0.016 for MBQ) than those of concurrently tested negative control insects when analyzed by both the Fisher's exact and Kastenbaum-Bowman tests. These results show EBQ and MBQ to be mutagenic when tested using the sex-linked recessive lethal Drosophila melanogaster system. Analysis of brood mutation rates indicate that both EBQ and MBQ act as indirect mutagens. The presence of benzoquinone-secreting Tribolium spp. flour beetles in food products could represent a toxicologic hazard to the consumer. Presently no distinction is made between benzoquinone-secreting insects and other arthropods infesting stored products when establishing rejection standards for infested foods.

Oxygen consumption and life span in the adult male housefly, Musca domestica

The object of this study was to re-examine the quantitative relationship between metabolic rate and life span postulated by the rate of living hypothesis. The metabolic rate of the adult male flies was experimentally altered by varying the level of physical activity and ambient temperature. Lowering of physical activity and ambient temperature increased the life span of the flies. Metabolic rates of flies in all groups declined during older age, however, the relative decrease was greater in the high activity flies as compared to the low activity flies. The total amount of oxygen consumption, till average life span, was nearly equal in the low and high activity flies maintained at the same temperature, but this amount was 12–15% greater in flies maintained at 18°C than at 25°C. The results support the postulates of the rate of living hypothesis. The possible reasons for the differences in the metabolic potentials at different temperatures are discussed.

The two-dimensional restriction analysis of Drosophila DNAs: males and females

Two-dimensional restriction analysis has been applied to terminally labeled restriction segments from adult male and female flies that were the progeny of ten successive single-pair, brother-sister matings. Many of the 2500–4000 different bands that can be seen on autoradiographs are of widely different density, a fact that suggests the superposition of multiple restriction segments of similar sequence. The number of bands observed is significantly fewer than expected. Nearly all of the bands seen in male-DNA displays appear equivalent to those seen in female-DNA displays, but a few sex differences (male-dense and female-dense bands) can be identified — much fewer than expected. When the HpaII- MspI test was applied to fractionated BamHI fragments, between 900 and 1800 discrete C-C-G-G sites were found to be cleaved in a completely equivalent fashion by each isoschizomer.

Unique occurrence of fenchol in the animal kingdom

(−)-β-Fenchol, a compound occurring in plants but not heretofore reported to occur in an animal product, was isolated from volatiles released by adult male Mediterranean fruit flies,Ceratitis capitata Wiedemann, with the male's previously identified sex pheromones. It neither attracts females nor synergizes the pheromones, and its function remains unknown.

Virulence factors in Bacillus thuringiensis: purification and properties of a protein inhibitor of immunity in insects.

We have previously shown that Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. alesti, serotype 3, produces two extracellular inhibitors of the immune system of Saturniid pupae (designated inhibitors A and B; Edlund et al., 1976). Starting from the culture supernatant of a new mutant of B. thuringiensis with a decreased extracellular proteolytic activity, we have now purified immune inhibitor A(InA). The procedure described consists of three steps: ultrafiltration, precipitation with ammonium sulphate and chromatography on hydroxylapatite. Purified InA gave a single band on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis using either a gel concentration of 7.5% (w/v) and reducing and denaturing conditions or a gradient gel and native conditions. In both cases the apparent molecular weight was 78 000. A certain amount of proteolytic activity was always co-purified with InA but the two activities could be dissociated by heat or EDTA treatment. Antiserum against purified InA gave only one sharp precipitation band on immunodiffusion against InA with or without EDTA. InA inhibited the in vitro killing of Escherichia coli by immune haemolymph but did not affect the killing of Bacillus subtilis. InA was toxic for Drosophila when injected into the abdomen of adult male flies.

Mutagenicity studies with halothane in Drosophila melanogaster.

Halothane was investigated for its mutagenic effects in Drosophila melanogaster. The induction of sex-linked recessive lethals was used as an indicator of genetic damage. Adult male flies were exposed to halothane either for 14 days at 1,000 or 1,600 ppm (v/v) or for one or two days in 2,100 or 20,000 ppm. In several experiments slight increases of the mutation frequency were observed. For the pooled data of the 14 day-exposure experiments, the increase amounted to a doubling of the spontaneous rate, just reaching the level of 5 per cent significance. The authors consider this a borderline result, indicating, with a fair degree of probability, that halothane has weak mutagenic activity, under the conditions studied.

Ecdysterone switches off fluid secretion at pupation in insect Malpighian tubules

ECDYSTERONE has been shown to stimulate fluid secretion in Malpighian tubules of adult male tsetse flies, suggesting a new function for steroid hormones in the control of insect excretory systems1. I report here that ecdysterone has the reverse effect on larval tubules and switches off fluid secretion just before pupation.

Digestive processes of haematophagous insects. XIV. Haemolytic activity in the midgut of Glossina morsitans morstians Westwood (Diptera: Glossinidae).

A haemolytic agent (haemolysin), which lysed rabbit erythrocytes in an isotonic buffer. occurred in the digestive section of the midgut of adult male and female tsetse flies (Glossina morsitans) but not in the anterior, nondigestive section of the midgut. Haemolysin from females also lysed horse, cow, and pig erythrocytes, and it occurred in the midgut lumen but not in the midgut wall 6, 24. and 48 h after feeding. Little or no haemolysin was present in unfed flies but it was present in the midgut by 3 h after feeding on a rabbit: maximum activity occurred in the midgut 24–48 h after feeding. Flies fed on a meal containing 20 μg or more puromycin/ml produced only small quantities of haemolysin. Flies fed upon erythrocytes, haemoglobin, methaemoglobin, and myoglobin produced large quantities of haemolysin while those fed upon erythrocyte stroma, serum proteins, cytochrome c, or 1 mM ATP in 0.85% NaCl did not.

Low mutagenic activity of four hycanthone analogues in Drosophila melanogaster

Four structural analogues of the antischistosomal drug hycanthone, indicated as IA-3, IA-4, IA-5, and IA-6, were tested for their ability to induce sex-linked recessive lethal mutations in Drosophila melanogaster. The compounds were administered to adult male flies, by abdominal injection or by feeding. Although in some cases a slight enhancement of the mutation frequency was observed, the analogues tested are considerably less mutagenic in this system than hycanthone itself, the concentrations applied being approximately of equal molarity.

Aging and its relation to cell growth and differentiation in Drosophila imaginal discs: developmental response to growth restricting conditions.

The development of Drosophila organ discs can be arrested by culturing them in adult male flies. These aged discs lose some of their differentiation competence and form incomplete imaginal structures. The more advanced the aging, the greater the loss of competence. Discs made to differentiate prematurely show deficiencies similar to aged discs. The age-induced defects can be repaired in a larval milieu. Special hormonal conditions, but not cell multiplication, are apparently involved in the recovery process.