S. Alcaniz et Fj. Silva, PHENYLALANINE-HYDROXYLASE PARTICIPATION IN THE SYNTHESIS OF SEROTONINAND PTERIDINES IN DROSOPHILA-MELANOGASTER, Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part C, Pharmacology toxicology & endocrinology, 116(3), 1997, pp. 205-212
Phenylalanine hydroxylase is involved in the synthesis of serotonin an
d pteridines, probably catalysing the hydroxylation of tryptophan and
a tetrahydropterin oxidase reaction, respectively. Supplementation of
the wild-type Drosophila diet with either L-Phe or L-Trp induced a sig
nificant increase in the phenylalanine hydroxylase concentration, whil
e L-Tyr supplementation had no effect. The level of serotonin in adult
heads of the PAH-defective mutant Henna recessive-3 was significantly
lower than that obtained for the wild-type strain. A dr-fold increase
in the concentration of phenylalanine hydroxylase is observed during
the pharate adult head development. It occurs in parallel with the syn
thesis of red pigments in the eye. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.