Abstract
The activities of several enzymes were determined in homogenates of Drosophila melanogaster embryos and early larvae. The dehydrogenases of isocitrate (IDH), α-glycerophosphate (αGPDH), glucose 6-phosphate (G6PD), and 6-phosphogluconate (6PGD) show no increase in activity until late in the embryonic period (about 20 hr). The increase in the activity of these enzymes begins before hatching and continues into the larval period. Embryos heterozygous at loci controlling specific enzymes, IDH, αGPDH, G6PD, and ADH (alcohol dehydrogenase), have only the maternal form of each enzyme throughout most of the embryonic period. Paternal and hybrid forms of the enzymes are found at hatching. This corresponds to the increase in total activity for each of the enzymes. The results are discussed in terms of the control of gene expression in development.
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Supported in part by NIH Grants GM 15597 and CA 05047.
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Wright, D.A., Shaw, C.R. Time of expression of genes controlling specific enzymes in Drosophila embryos. Biochem Genet 4, 385–394 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00485755
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00485755