[N-acetylation of biogenic amines in Drosophila virilis]

In adults of two Drosophila virilis lines displaying different genetically determined reactions to stress, N-acetyl-transferase (NAT) activity against substrates dopamine and octapamine was studied. Sexual dimorphism was characteristic of NAT activity when octapamine served as a substrate. However, in the case of dopamine, this phenomenon was not found. This suggests that two different enzymes with N-acetyltransferase activities exist in D. virilis. The flies of the studied lines were not shown to be indistinguishable in both enzyme activities. Short-term stress (38 degrees C for 30 and 60 min) did not affect NAT activity in flies of either studied line.