Drosophila sechellia

Drosophila sechellia is a species of fruit fly, used in lab studies of speciation because it can mate with Drosophila simulans.

Drosophila sechellia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Diptera
Family:
Drosophilidae
Genus:
Drosophila
Subgenus:
Sophophora
Species group:
melanogaster group
Species subgroup:
melanogaster subgroup
Species:
D. sechellia
Binomial name
Drosophila sechellia
Tsacas and Baechli, 1981

Drosophila sechellia is endemic to (some of) the Seychelles, and was one of 12 fruit fly genomes sequenced for a large comparative study.[1]

Morinda fruit

Drosophila sechellia are known to preferentially lay eggs on toxic Morinda fruits. Research has shown that a mutation in the gene that inhibits egg production is associated with a reduction in L-DOPA; L-DOPA is a precursor of the fertility-regulating hormone dopamine. Morinda fruits are rich in L-DOPA, owing to their usually insecticidal capacities. Drosophila sechellia fertility is reliant on the L-DOPA found in Morinda fruit, and as a result Drosophila sechellia reproduces solely on these toxic fruits.[2] Recent research found that reduced expression of a newly discovered gene, Esterase 6 (Est6), is an important element of the genetic underpinnings behind the adaptation of D. Sechellia to feed on Morinda fruits.[3]

References
  1. Drosophila 12 Genomes Consortium; et al. (2007). "Evolution of genes and genomes on the Drosophila phylogeny". Nature. 450 (7167): 203–218. Bibcode:2007Natur.450..203C. doi:10.1038/nature06341. PMID 17994087.
  2. "Toxic fruits hold the key to reproductive success". Max-Planck-Gesellschaft. December 9, 2014.
  3. Stephen M. Lanno, Ivy Lam; Zachary Drum; Samuel C. Linde; Sara M. Gregory; Serena J. Shimshak; Mariel V. Becker; Kerry E. Brew; Aashli Budhiraja; Eliza A. Carter; Lorencia Chigweshe; Keagan P. Collins; Timothy Earley; Hannah L. Einstein; Angela A. Fan; Sarah S. Goss; Eric R. Hagen; Sarah B. Hutcheon; Timothy T. Kim; Mackenzie A. Mitchell; Nola R. Neri; Sean E. Patterson; Gregory Ransom; Guadalupe J. Sanchez; Bella M. Weiner; Dacheng Zhao & Joseph D. Coolon (1 October 2019). "Genomics Analysis of L-DOPA Exposure in Drosophila sechellia.". G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics. 9 (12): 3973–3980. doi:10.1534/g3.119.400552. PMC 6893205. PMID 31575638.


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