Fruit fly

To control the Mediterranean fruit fly, a synthetic sex attractant pheromone mixture, trimedlure, is efficient. Chemically this lure is a mixture of substituted chlorinated cyclohexanecarboxyl-esters of tertiary butanol  

Methyl-eugenol and cue-lure are highly active commercialized synthetic kairomone lures to the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis, and the melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae, respectively (e.g., Vargas et al., 2000)  

Traps with these substances, together with an organophosphate, such as malathion, are efficient in the control of these flies in Hawaii. 

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Because a fruit fly for example has about 13 000 genes scientists expected humans to have on the order of 100 000 genes The first surprise to emerge from the... 

Sulfur dioxide shows some mutagenic effects in microorganisms and fruit flies. Human lymphocyte DNA damage has been observed. It is an equivocal tumorigenic agent by RTECS criteria (183). 

The edible parts of parsnips contain a chemical of insecticidal and strong synergistic nature. This chemical, present in a concentration of about 200 p.p.m., was isolated and identified as 5-allyl-l-methoxy -2, 3-methylene-dioxybenzene or myristicin. Its toxicity to various insects (fruit flies, etc.) was established and compared with pyrethrum and aldrin. A second chemical, identified as 2-phenylethyl isothiocyanate, was found in the edible parts of turnips and rutabaga, which also have been consumed for centuries by humans without obvious harm. 

Human genes do more work than those of the roundworm or fruit fly (eg, alternative splicing is used more frequently). 

Relatively few new protein domains appeat to have emerged among vertebrates. However, the numbet of distinct domain architectures (-1800) in human proteins is 1.8 times that of the roundworm or fruit fly. About 90 vertebrate-specific families of proteins have been identified, and these have been found to be enriched in proteins of the immune and nervous systems. 

Segmental dupfications have been found to be much mote common than in the toundwotm or fruit fly. It is possible that these stmctutes may be involved in exon shuffling and the incteased divetsity of proteins found in humans. 

Many important findings have already emerged. The one to date that has generated the most discussion is that the number of human genes may be only two to three times that estimated for the roundworm and the fruit fly. 

Fig. 6.1 Interrelationships of chemoreceptors internal (neurotransmitters) and external chemosignals. Phylogenetic connections for sequences in transmembrane (Fig. 6.2) domains Nos. = bootstrap values from 100 Megaline searches (based on majority consensus tree). Invertebrate — DrOR fruit-fly, CeOR nematode vertebrate — FOR fish, LOR (1 2) lamprey, MOR mouse VR (1 2) vomeronasal (from Dryer and Berghard, 1999).

Martinelli, C. 8c Reichhart, J.-M. (2005). Evolution and integration of innate immune systems from fruit flies to man lessons and questions. /. Endotoxin Res., 11, 243-8. 

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