Catecholamines in Drosophila melanogaster (wild type and ebony mutant) decuticalarized retinas and brains.

The concentrations of catecholamines were determined in the decuticalarized retinas and brains at different ages in wildtype and ebony Drosophila melanogaster using the HPLC-technique with an electrochemical detector. L-Dopa, dopamine (DA), alpha-methyldopa (alpha-MD) and unidentified compounds X1, X2 and X3 were found in decuticalarized retinas and brains of wildtype and ebony at different ages. Retinas and brains of the mutant ebony have higher concentrations of L-Dopa, DA and alpha-MD than the wildtype. In both wildtype and ebony, the concentrations of X1, X2 and X3 were found to be higher in decuticalarized retinas than in brains. The identity and importance of X1, X2 and X3 are still unknown.