ANALYSIS OF DIFFERENCES IN DOPAMINE CONTENT BETWEEN 2 LINES OF DROSOPHILA-VIRILIS IN RESPONSE TO HEAT-STRESS

The time course of changes in dopamine content during development was studied in Drosophila virilis under normal and stressful conditions. W hen development was normal, there were two dopamine peaks, one of whic h appeared during puparium formation, and the other during fly emergen ce. Short-term exposure to heat (60 min, 38-degrees-C) was found to be without influence on the dopamine content in pupae, but produced a ri se in adult flies. Mechanical stress also produced an increase in dopa mine content. D. virilis lines differing in dopamine content under nor mal conditions and in stress response of the dopamine system were esta blished. The results of genetic analysis of these differences are pres ented. The gene (or genes) controlling differences in dopamine content under normal conditions is located on the X-chromosome, and the gene( s) controlling the differences in responsiveness of the dopamine syste m to stress was found to be autosomal.