Masayoshi Tabara

Xanthurenic acid in the mutant strain scarlet of Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract 1. 1. Xanthurenic acid, 3-hydroxykynurenine, and kynurenine hydroxylase activity in bw, st and bwst of D. melanogaster were determined. 2. 2. Both pupa and adult of bw, st and bwst showed much the same level of kynurenine hydroxylase activity. 3. 3. The pupae of bw, st and bwst contained not a little 3-hydroxykynurenine. In st and bwst , the 3-hydroxykynurenine rapidly decreased at emergence, while in bw , the decrease was rather gradual. 4. 4. In bw and st , a considerable amount of xanthurenic acid was synthesized during the pupal stage, while, in bwst , the synthesis was moderate. Moreover, in the adult stage, xanthurenic acid was much less in bwst than in bw and st .