Xanthine Dehydrogenase (XDH) cross-reacting material in mutants of Drosophila melanogaster deficient in XDH activity.

Rocket immunoelectrophoresis was used to estimate xanthine dehydrogenase cross-reacting material (XDH-CRM) in strains containing the cin and cin mutant genes, which are deficient in XDH enzymatic activity. CRM levels were determined as percentages of CRM in the Oregon-R wild-type strain. The mutant strains contain 72 and 76% of Oregon-R CRM, respectively. CRM levels in strains containing the XDH-deficient mutant genes lxd and mal are 93 and 105%, respectively. The high levels of CRM in these four mutant strains indicate that the primary effects of the mutant genes are on the function of XDH protein rather than its accumulation.