The effects of lao on aldehyde, oxidase activity and cross-reacting-material in Drosophila melanogaster.

In Drosophila melanogaster aldehyde oxidase occurs in at least two forms that can be separated electrophoretically. The mutant allele lao (low aldehyde oxidase activity) causes a deficiency of the major form of this enzyme. Immunoelectrophoretic analyses suggest that lao homozygotes produce aldehyde oxidase cross-reacting-material in nearly wild-type levels. Although aldehyde oxidase from the mutant stock is heat labile. properties such as Km and pH optima are not different from the normal enzyme.