Does Drosophila melanogaster use ethanol as an energy source during starvation?

The influence of starvation on activities of three enzymes (ADH, ODH and alpha GPDH) was studied in Drosophila melanogaster. The changes were compared in two inbred lines which had different allelic combinations at the Odh and Aldox loci. We also studied the effect of ethanol on media which contained no sucrose ("starvation conditions"). The results show that there are large differences in the larval and adult alcohol utilization. The alcohol content of the medium, in the absence of sugar, appeared to be toxic for the larvae, while the adults appeared to utilize it as an energy source. The two strains differed little in their responses to starvation or to the ethanol treatment applied under starvation conditions. We conclude that the degree of toxicity of ethanol is highly dependent on the presence of sucrose.