A recessive X‐linked mutation causes a threefold reduction of total body zinc accumulation in Drosophila melanogaster laboratory strains

Abstract

A newly identified human locus on chromosome 15 was recently associated with zinc accumulation. Based on a prior report of a threefold difference in zinc accumulation between fumble1 heterozygous mutants and control fly strains, it was suggested that phosphopantothenoylcysteine decarboxylase might affect zinc status through its effects on vitamin B5 (pantothenate) metabolism. We report here that outcrossed fumble1 heterozygous mutant flies with low zinc content have been recovered, suggesting that pantothenate metabolism did not alter zinc homeostasis in fumble1 heterozygous flies. We show instead that the Drosophila condition of low body zinc accumulation is an X-chromosome-linked recessive trait.

Biogenesis of zinc storage granules inDrosophila melanogaster

“…We came to the question of physiological zinc storage by studying poco-zinc, a previously identified recessive X-linked mutation that causes a threefold reduction of total body zinc accumulation in laboratory strains of D. melanogaster (Afshar et al, 2013). By genetic mapping, we show that mutants in the white gene (Morgan, 1910) have a threefold reduction in zinc content.…”

A role for the Drosophila zinc transporter Zip88E in protecting against dietary zinc toxicity

“…Expression of Zip88E under the control of the Zip88E-GAL4 driver completely restored the tolerance of Zip88E Δ/Δ homozygotes back to wild type levels when larvae were raised on 4 mmol l -1 ZnCl 2 -supplemented media (Fig 7). All genotypes tested contained the same w 1118 X chromosomes and all but Zip88E Δ/+ had at least one autosomal mini-white transgene, abrogating the potential effect of white gene presence / absence on zinc content [14]. …”

Zinc storage granules in the Malpighian tubules ofDrosophila melanogaster

“…We refer to the X-linked recessive mutant with 3-fold reduction in total zinc accumulation as poco-zinc (AFSHAR et al 2013). The X-chromosome meiotic recombination mapping stock cm 1 , m 74f , sd 1 , os s accumulated 0.07 mg zinc per g dry weight, suggesting that it also carried the poco-zinc allele.…”

“…Many authors warn against the possible alterations of normal cell physiology in the w mutant and consider implications of using it as the major control strain in experiments (CAMPBELL and NASH 2001;BORYCZ et al 2008;CHETVERINA et al 2008;KRSTIC et al 2013;CHAN et al 2014;XIAO and ROBERTSON 2016). Direct implications for the field of Drosophila zinc biology, almost entirely based on transgenes carrying the mini-white marker, have been raised before (AFSHAR et al 2013;RICHARDS and BURKE 2016).…”

“…We came to the question of physiological zinc storage by studying poco-zinc, a previously identified recessive X-linked mutation that causes a threefold reduction of total body zinc accumulation in laboratory strains of Drosophila melanogaster (AFSHAR et al 2013). By genetic mapping, we show that mutants in the white gene (MORGAN 1910) have a threefold reduction in zinc content.…”