THE ANOPHELES-GAMBIAE TRYPTOPHAN OXYGENASE GENE EXPRESSED FROM A BACULOVIRUS PROMOTER COMPLEMENTS DROSOPHILA-MELANOGASTER VERMILION

An Anopheles gambiae cDNA encoding tryptophan oxygenase was placed und er the control of the constitutive baculovirus promoter, ie-1. The chi meric construct, expressed transiently in vermilion (tryptophan oxygen ase) mutants of Drosophila melanogaster, partially rescued adult eye c olor. The successful genetic complementation by this construct demonst rated both the proper function of the tryptophan oxygenase product and the effectiveness of the ie-l promoter in directing expression of for eign genes in live insects. The functionality of An. gambiae tryptopha n oxygenase in a higher fly fulfils predictions based on its structura l conservation throughout millions of years of independent evolution. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.