Budnik V, White K
Biophysics Program, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02254.
J Neurogenet. 1987 Dec;4(6):309-14.
Catecholamine- and serotonin-containing neurons were studied in pale, a Drosophila third-chromosome recessive lethal mutant. Using histofluorescent and immunocytochemical techniques, we show that this mutation only alters catecholamine levels in the CNS. Both the presence of catecholamine-neurons and the expression of serotonin are not affected by the mutation. Furthermore, we show that normal characteristics of catecholamine neurons, such as the presence of the enzyme DOPA decarboxylase and the selective uptake properties are normal in pale mutants. We suggest that pale is either the tyrosine hydroxylase structural gene, or a gene controlling tyrosine hydroxylase activity in Drosophila. The similar genetic location of the putative tyrosine hydroxylase gene and the mutation pale supports the former suggestion.
在果蝇第三染色体隐性致死突变体“苍白”（pale）中，对含儿茶酚胺和血清素的神经元进行了研究。运用组织荧光和免疫细胞化学技术，我们发现该突变仅改变了中枢神经系统中的儿茶酚胺水平。儿茶酚胺神经元的存在以及血清素的表达均不受该突变影响。此外，我们还表明，儿茶酚胺神经元的正常特征，如多巴脱羧酶的存在和选择性摄取特性，在苍白突变体中是正常的。我们推测，苍白基因要么是酪氨酸羟化酶的结构基因，要么是控制果蝇中酪氨酸羟化酶活性的基因。假定的酪氨酸羟化酶基因与苍白突变的相似遗传定位支持了前一种推测。
