Structural analysis of an electrophoretically cryptic alcohol dehydrogenase variant from an Australian population of Drosophila melanogaster.

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Abstract
The existence of geographically widespread clines in genetic polymorphisms is persuasive evidence that the distribution of such genetic variance is determined by natural selection. When comparing clines it is important to be certain that identical structural genes are involved. A structural difference (proline-214 to serine) between the product of AdhF and an electrophoretically cryptic heat-stable variant, isolated from an Australian natural population, ADH-FChD. (fast Chateau Douglas) is reported. The biochemical properties of this new variant must be taken into consideration when attempting to formulate a causal explanation of the maintenance of the 3 identified Adh alleles. The products of an AdhF and an AdhS allele in D. melanogaster in an Australian population are evidently identical in over 70% of their amino acid sequences with their North American counterparts.