Associations between Alcohol Tolerance and the Quantity of Alcohol Dehydrogenase in Drosophila melanogaster Isolated from a Winery Population

Abstract

Variation in alcohol dehyqrogenase (ADH) and alcohol tolerance was investigated in AdhF isofemale lines of D. melanogaster isolated from an Australian winery population. For three different tests of alcohol tolerance no association with levels of ADH activity was detected. However, among 156 lines a significant negative asso9iation occurred between larval ethanol tolerance and the quantity of ADH enzyme measured in adults. In addition, a positive relationship occurred between ADH quantity and adult survival in a sucrose-ethanol ingestion test carried out on 28 of the lines. No correlation of enzyme quantity occurred when aqults were acutely exposed to ethanol vapour. These data indicate that ADH quantity and not ADH activity may be a mor.e crucial physiological determinant of survival in high ethanol environments.