Alcohol Dehydrogenase Polymorphism of Drosophila melanogaster: Aspects of Alcohol and Temperature Variation in the Larval Environment

Abstract

Some natural habitats of D. melanogaster larvae were examined for short-chain alcohols by gas-liquid chromatography. All habitats contained a mixture of such alcohols, although ethanol predominated and was found at concentrations ranging from 0·02 to 4·0% (v/v). Normal propanol, propan-2-01, n-butanol and methanol were nearly always present. Larval-to-adult survival was determined at three temperatures on laboratory media supplemented with alcohol mixtures similar to those found in nature, and using strains which differed in alcohol dehydrogenase genotype.