Prolonged negative selection of Drosophila melanogaster for a character of adaptive significance disturbs stress reactivity

• Published in: Insect biochemistry and molecular biology 1999-05, Vol.29 (5), p.445-452
• Main Authors: Gruntenko, N.E., Khlebodarova, T.M., Sukhanova, M.Jh, Vasenkova, I.A., Kaidanov, L.Z., Rauschenbach, I.Yu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation, Biological; Animals; artificial selection; carboxy-lyases; carboxylic ester hydrolases; Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases - metabolism; decarboxylase; Drosophila melanogaster; Drosophila melanogaster - metabolism; Drosophila melanogaster - physiology; enzyme activity; epoxide hydrolase; Epoxide Hydrolases - metabolism; Female; Heat stress; Heating; JH-epoxide hydrolyze; JH-esterase; juvenile hormone esterase; juvenile hormone expoide hydrolase; juvenile hormone metabolism; juvenile hormones; Juvenile Hormones - metabolism; Male; metabolism; octopamine; Octopamine - metabolism; sexual behavior; strain differences; stress response; Tyrosine decarboxylase; Tyrosine Decarboxylase - metabolism
• ISSN: 0965-1748; 1879-0240
• DOI: 10.1016/S0965-1748(99)00021-1

The metabolism of juvenile hormone by JH-esterase and JH-epoxide hydrolase, and octopamine by tyrosine decarboxylase were studied under normal and stress conditions in flies of two related lines of D. melanogaster. One was selected for high (HA line) and another for low (LA line) male sexual activity for more than 700 generations. It was demonstrated that prolonged selection for low male sexual activity results in considerable changes in both systems. Tyrosine decarboxylase activity in males and females of the LA line was sharply reduced as compared with those of the HA and controle Canton-S lines; JH-esterase and JH-epoxide hydrolase activities were decreased in females, and not in males, of the LA line. It was demonstrated that the response of both metabolic systems to heat stress is impaired in individuals of the LA line: the system of juvenile hormone metabolism does not respond to stress, and that of octopamine metabolism is decelerated. The role of juvenile hormone metabolism in male reproductive function is discussed.