Differences in wing melanization and pigmentation pattern in Drosophila buzzatii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) under chemical stress

MONGIARDINO, N, E HASSON, I SOTO

REVISTA DE LA SOCIEDAD ENTOMOLóGICA ARGENTINA

SOCIEDAD ENTOMOLÓGICA ARGENTINA

Lugar: Mendoza; Año: 2012 vol. 71 p. 87 - 97

0373-5680

Recently, the genetic basis and developmentalmechanisms underlying the process of melanization have becomeprogressively elucidated, allowing us to study the evolutionary processes thatgovern the huge variability of pigmentation observed in nature. However,environmental factors contributing to such variability have received littleattention, even though they might have profound ecological consequences. Here we describe a method for analyzing the wing melanization patterns ofdrosophilids in both qualitative and quantitative ways. We test this methodon wings of Drosophila buzzatii Patterson & Wheeler individuals, reared incontrol and alkaloid-enriched mediums. The alkaloids were extracted from thesecondary host of these flies, Echinopsis terscheckii (Parm. ex Pfeiff.) Friedrich& Rowley, and their effect on wing pigmentation is analyzed, bearing in mindthe adverse effects that these compounds have on the development of D.buzzatii. Alkaloid-reared flies were shown to attain a higher degree of wingmelanization, accompanied with differences in the spatial distribution ofthe pigment. Modifications at both metabolic and gene regulatory levels areproposed to explain the changes that chemical stressful conditions are shownto induce in this character. We propose the utilization of this procedure instudies of environmental dependence of pigmentation.