Longevity, Resource Utilization and Larval Preferences in Drosophila: Inter- and Intraspecific Variation.

Abstract

On the basis of life-span, the threshold ranking at which ethanol and acetic acid ceased to be resources and became stresses for 3 sympatric, cosmopolitan Drosophila species was: D. melanogaster Mg. > D. simulans Sturt. > D. immigrans Sturt. The threshold ranking between larval attraction and avoidance followed the same sequence. An Adh-null mutant of D. melanogaster utilised ethanol to an extremely low threshold, while acetic acid was utilised to a threshold close to that of the D. melanogaster population; this predictable result was paralleled by larval attraction to acetic acid but not ethanol. It can therefore be concluded that there is an association between biochemical and behavioural phenotypes relating to resources commonly available in nature. Acetic acid acts as an attractant to larvae of all species at concentrations down to 1/1000 of the concentrations of ethanol attracting flies, which suggests that acetic acid may be a resource recognition compound, as well as a food resource.

Adaptation to alcoholic fermentation in Drosophila: a parallel selection imposed by environmental ethanol and acetic acid.

“…At low concentration, acetic acid is, like ethanol, used as a resource (11,12). We found that ethanol adaptation, due to directional selection, was accompanied by an increase ofacetic acid tolerance (Fig.…”

“…Experimental data suggest that lipid synthesis could be more important in larvae (25,(28)(29)(30), whereas energy production would be more important in adults, especially in laboratory tests in which survival duration is measured (11,31,32).…”

“…Acetic acid has been shown to be used as a resource at low concentrations, whereas it is a stress at higher concentrations, and significant differences exist between species (11,12). A recent article (9) stated that the genetics and physiology of adaptation ofD.…”

Adaptation of Drosophila simulans in Japan.

“…D. simulans usually avoids entering buildings because it tends to be photopositive Watanabe 1978), ethanol sensitive (McKenzie andParsons 1972) and is not attracted by man-made construction (David 1979;Fuyama and Watada 1981). Differing food preferences including the degree of resistance to ethanol may contribute to the coexistence of the both species with reduced competition in nature (Kawanishi and Lee 1978;Parsons and Spence 1981). However, the most important factor affecting the expansion of D, simulans in nature will be the climate or temperature.…”

Multifaceted approach to evaluate the relationship among closely related forms ofDrosophila

“…For a coherent evolutionary analysis of species and populations, an integration of genetics at the levels of populations and ecology is needed (Ushakumari and Ranganath 1986b). Drosophila has been used as a representative system to understand genetic basis of ecological differentiation (Parsons and Spence 1981;Powell and Andjelkovic 1983;Taylor and Condra 1983;Ramachandra and Ranganath 1986). Parsons and Spence (1981) have shown resource utilization divergence among 6 closely related Drosophila species of melanoqaster subgroup in the utilization of ethanol and acetic acid as energy sources.…”