Adaptative significance of amylase polymorphism in Drosophila. III. Geographic patterns in Drosophila subobscura tissue-specific expression of amylase in adult midgut

Abstract

Eight natural populations of Drosophila-subobscura (Collin) were studied for genetically controlled variation in tissue-specific expression of alpha-amylase enzyme. Polymorphism for amylase tissue variation in the midgut was found to be present in natural populations. This type of phenotypic variability showed intra- and interpopulation variability. The geographic variation in alpha-amylase midgut activity patterns of gene expression was found to be uncorrelated with allozyme variation at the structural locus. There was no detectable correlation of activity patterns in the anterior midget with those in the posterior midgut