EFFECT OF DIET ON EYE-COLOR DEVELOPMENT IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

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Abstract
The production of v+ eye-color hormone and development of pigment in the double recessive vermilion brown of Drosophila may be brought about by feeding the larvae on sub-optimal levels of dead yeast under aseptic conditions. With a given conc. of yeast, culture of larvae at low temp. (17[degree]C.) greatly increases the intensity of the starvation effect. High temp. (28oC), on the other hand, decreases the intensity of the starvation effect. Carbohydrates, acetate, fat, and ethyl alcohol added to the low yeast diet, under aseptic conditions, completely inhibit the starvation effect. Proteins and amino-acids have very little influence on the starvation effect, but greatly lower the carbohydrate level required to completely inhibit pigment production. The starvation effect is always associated with prolongation of larval life, but great prolongation of life is possible under certain conditions without any modification of eye color.