Male accessory gland secretory proteins in nasuta subgroup of Drosophila: nature and SDS-PAGE patterns.

Male accessory gland secretory proteins in seven members of Drosophila nasuta subgroup were analyzed by SDS-PAGE in combination with different staining techniques such as CBB-R250, Silver, PAS, PAS-silver and zinc-imidazole reverse staining. Based on coomassie blue patterns the protein fractions could be classified in to 3 major groups namely group I, group II as well as group III; with high molecular weight fractions falling into group I and low molecular weight fractions into group III. All the three groups of fractions are post-translationally modified by way of glycosylation and group III fractions are found to be highly glycosylated. Fractions of groups I and II when localized with silver stain and group III fractions when localized with PAS-silver stain appear yellow; suggesting that they are sialoglycoproteins. A 40 kD fraction of group II shows differential staining property with zinc-imidazole stain in closely related species namely D. n. nasuta and D. n. albomicans. Analysis of this protein fraction in F1 males of an interspecific cross revealed that it is synthesized by X-chromosomal gene.