Genetic characterization of dipeptidase activity modifiers in Drosophila melanogaster from natural populations

An examination of Drosophila melanogaster from natural populations revealed genetic variation for dipeptidase-A (DIP-A) and dipeptidase-B (DIP-B) activities within sets of lines that differed from one another only in the second or the third chromosome. Analyses of diallel crosses indicate that both activities are inherited additively, and coordinate control of expression is suggested by the significant positive correlation between the two activities. Electrophoresis and thermal denaturation studies failed to detect structural differences among lines with different levels of DIP-A activity. No characteristic level of activity could be associated with any DIP-A allozyme. Mapping experiments revealed the presence of activity modifiers that are in tight linkage with the structural gene, as well as those that manifest their effects from a distance. The maximum genetic distance between a high-activity effect on DIP-A and the structural gene was determined to be 0.029 map unit. These results are in accordance with the prevalence of activity modifiers for various enzymes in Drosophila melanogaster.