Absence of diglyceride kinase activity in the photoreceptor cells of Drosophila mutants.

Diglyceride kinase (DG) activity was found to be almost absent in the photoreceptor cells of Drosophila vision mutants, norpA (no receptor potential A). Other enzymes related to the phosphatidic acid (PA) metabolism, such as monoacyl-glycerophosphate acyltransferase and PA phosphatase, were normal in the mutant. The deficiency in PA content in the retinular cells of norpA, demonstrated by 32P incorporation in vivo is, therefore, due to abnormal reduction in DG kinase activity. The DG kinase was found to be localized in the retinular cell by assaying its activity in the mutants rdgA (receptor cells degenerated) and sine oculis (compound eyes absent).