Molecular similarity of Drosophila melanogaster alcohol dehydrogenase thermostable alleles from populations on different continents.

Allele specific oligonucleotide probes have been used to show that DNA, amplified by the polymerase chain reaction, from eleven thermostable Adh alleles extracted from populations on different continents contains the triplet TCC, which distinguishes AdhFChD (Fast Chateau Douglas) from AdhF (Fast). The molecular similarity of Adh thermostable alleles suggests that they had a common origin, and it is argued that the mutation probably occurred in China where high frequencies of AdhFChD are found.