N-ACETYLATION OF BIOGENIC-AMINES IN DROSO PHILA-VIRILIS

In adults of two Drosophila virilis lines displaying different genetic ally determined reactions to stress, N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activit y against substrates dopamine and octapamine was studied. Sexual dimor phism was characteristic of NAT activity when octapamine served as a s ubstrate. However, in the case of dopamine, this phenomenon was not fo und. This suggests that two different enzymes with N-acetyltransferase activities exist in D. virilis. The flies of the studied lines were s hown to be indistinguishable in both enzyme activities. Short-term str ess (38 degrees C for 30 and 60 min) did not affect NAT activity in fl ies of either studied line.