Drosophila sechellia

Drosophila sechellia is a species of fruit fly, used in lab studies of speciation because it can mate with Drosophila simulans.

Drosophila sechellia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Diptera
Family:
Drosophilidae
Genus:
Drosophila
Subgenus:
Sophophora
Species group:
melanogaster group
Species subgroup:
melanogaster subgroup
Species:
D. sechellia
Binomial name
Drosophila sechellia
Tsacas and Baechli, 1981

Drosophila sechellia is endemic to (some of) the Seychelles, and was one of 12 fruit fly genomes sequenced for a large comparative study.[1]

Morinda fruit

Drosophila sechellia are known to preferentially lay eggs on toxic Morinda fruits. Research has shown that a mutation in the gene that inhibits egg production is associated with a reduction in L-DOPA; L-DOPA is a precursor of the fertility-regulating hormone dopamine. Morinda fruits are rich in L-DOPA, owing to their usually insecticidal capacities. Drosophila sechellia fertility is reliant on the L-DOPA found in Morinda fruit, and as a result Drosophila sechellia reproduces solely on these toxic fruits.[2] Recent research found that reduced expression of a newly discovered gene, Esterase 6 (Est6), is an important element of the genetic underpinnings behind the adaptation of D. Sechellia to feed on Morinda fruits.[3]

gollark: ···
gollark: Um, yes, I mean, he is gone forever, because of the way you treated him, or something, totally.
gollark: Clearly you looked wrong.
gollark: I don't know if you noticed.
gollark: He *is* still here.

References
  1. Drosophila 12 Genomes Consortium; et al. (2007). "Evolution of genes and genomes on the Drosophila phylogeny". Nature. 450 (7167): 203–218. doi:10.1038/nature06341. PMID 17994087.
  2. "Toxic fruits hold the key to reproductive success". Max-Planck-Gesellschaft. December 9, 2014.
  3. Stephen M. Lanno, Ivy Lam, Zachary Drum, Samuel C. Linde, Sara M. Gregory, Serena J. Shimshak, Mariel V. Becker, Kerry E. Brew, Aashli Budhiraja, Eliza A. Carter, Lorencia Chigweshe, Keagan P. Collins, Timothy Earley, Hannah L. Einstein, Angela A. Fan, Sarah S. Goss, Eric R. Hagen, Sarah B. Hutcheon, Timothy T. Kim, Mackenzie A. Mitchell, Nola R. Neri, Sean E. Patterson, Gregory Ransom, Guadalupe J. Sanchez, Bella M. Weiner, Dacheng Zhao and Joseph D. Coolon (1 October 2019). "Genomics Analysis of L-DOPA Exposure in Drosophila sechellia." (pdf). G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics. doi:10.1534/g3.119.400552.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)


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