Developmental regulation of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase synthesis in Drosophila

Methods have been developed to measure the synthesis of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) during the development of Drosophila melanogaster. In emerged adult flies, GPDH is a principal component of protein synthesis, comprising between 1 and 2% of the protein synthetic effort. This high relative rate of protein synthesis continues throughout adult life during a period of stable enzyme concentration. Therefore, it is evident that GPDH undergoes continual turnover. Analysis of GPDH synthesis in the adult segments reveals that this enzyme is synthesized in head, thorax, and abdomen. In 5-day-old flies, the relative rates of GPDH synthesis in the thorax and abdomen are similar. However, the concentration of GPDH in the thorax greatly exceeds that found in the abdomen. Therefore, it appears that the turnover rate of GPDH in the abdomen must be greater than the turnover rate of GPDH in the GPDH-containing cells (flight muscle) of the thorax. GPDH represents between 0.5 and 0.9% of the protein synthetic effort of larvae. The principle GPDH-containing tissue of larvae is fat body. The turnover of GPDH in larvae is similar to that in adult abdomen. This may be related to the concurrent presence of GPDH isozyme-3 in both tissues. Our studies indicate that the cell type-specific control of GPDH occurs at several levels.