Biomaterial Database

Beta-hydroxy-alpha-ketobutyric acid in Drosophila melanogaster, with reference to biosynthesis of drosopterins. 1980

M Masada, and M Akino

A substance designated as compound D, which reacts spontaneously with 7,8-dihydropterin to give drosopterins, is found in Drosophila melanogaster. The compound was partially purified from the extract of flies by column chromatography and identified as beta-hydroxy-alpha-ketobutyric acid by analysis of its 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone, mass spectrometry and reactivity with 7,8-dihydropterin. A highly significant correlation (r=0.969, p less than 0.001) was found between the amounts of the compound and drosopterins in the eye-pigment mutants of Drosophila. Changes of the compound during development of flies were also closely related to those of drosopterins. Based on these observations, a role of the compound in biosynthesis of drosopterins has been discussed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009154	Mutation	Any detectable and heritable change in the genetic material that causes a change in the GENOTYPE and which is transmitted to daughter cells and to succeeding generations.	Mutations
D011621	Pteridines	Compounds based on pyrazino[2,3-d]pyrimidine which is a pyrimidine fused to a pyrazine, containing four NITROGEN atoms.	1,3,5,8-Tetraazanaphthalene,Pteridine,Pteridinone,Pyrazino(2,3-d)pyrimidine,Pyrazinopyrimidine,Pyrazinopyrimidines,Pyrimido(4,5-b)pyrazine,Pteridinones
D011622	Pterins	Compounds based on 2-amino-4-hydroxypteridine.	Pterin
D004331	Drosophila melanogaster	A species of fruit fly frequently used in genetics because of the large size of its chromosomes.	D. melanogaster,Drosophila melanogasters,melanogaster, Drosophila
D005127	Eye Color	Color of the iris.	Color, Eye,Colors, Eye,Eye Colors
D006885	Hydroxybutyrates	Salts and esters of hydroxybutyric acid.	Hydroxybutyric Acid Derivatives,Hydroxybutyric Acids,Acid Derivatives, Hydroxybutyric
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia