The eye-pigmentary system of Drosophila

Abstract

THE study of multiple alleles at a locus is of prime importance for research on the theory of the gene-its qualitative and quantitative effects and the relationship between function and mutation. In an effort to obtain data of this nature in regard to the process of eye pigmentation in Drosophila melanogaster nine series of multiple alleles, that is, at the loci of scarlet, vermilion, cinnabar, brown, pink, carnation, garnet, raspberry and prune, were investigated for the histology of the four eye-pigment regions and the spectrophotometric properties of the red and brown pigments. These methods have been fully described (Nolte, 1952, 1954). These multiple alleles consisted of the following :-scarlct (st) and scarlet-spotted (st'P) ; vermilion (v) and vermilion361 (v361) ; cinnabar (en) and cinnabar3sk (cn3sk) ; brown (bw), brownzb (bw2b), brown-dominant (bwD) and brown4 (bw4); pink (p) and pink-peach (pv) ; carnation (car) and carnationz (carz) garnet (g), garnetz (g2), garnet3 (g3) and garnet4 (g4) ; raspberry (ras), raspberryz (rasz) and raspberry3 (ras3) ; prune (pn) and prune2 (pnz).

CRISPR/Cas9‐mediated knockout of the eye pigmentation gene white leads to alterations in colour of head spots in the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis

“…The X‐chromosome‐linked white gene was first discovered in Drosophila more than 100 years ago (Morgan, ; Lefevre and Wilkins, ) and it encodes a member of an ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) transporter superfamily that heterodimerizes with Brown or Scarlet proteins to transport the eye pigment precursor guanine or tryptophan respectively (Nolte, ; Dermauw and Leeuwen, ). Mutation of this gene results in insects developing white compound eyes (Ewart and Howells, ; Tatematsu et al ., ; Choo et al ., ).…”

Biochemical analysis of isoallelic series at the al- i locus of Neurospora crassa

“…The great phenotypic variability at this locus is similar to the white eye isoallelic series (w gene) in Drosophila melanogaster (NOLTE, 1959) and is probably due to variability of residual activity in the mutant phytoene dehydrogenases.…”