Molecular Genetics of the Drosophila Sulfakinin (Dsk) Gene

果蝇磺胺 (Dsk) 基因的分子遗传学

• 批准号: 9409623
• 负责人: Ruthann Nichols
• 金额: $ 31.52万
• 依托单位: Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 1994
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1994-08-15 至 1997-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9409623&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Molecular; Genetics; Drosophila; Sulfakinin; Dsk

IBN-9409623 Ruthann Nichols Over the past few decades researchers have discovered numerous peptides present in the central nervous systems of vertebrates and invertebrates. These peptides are referred to as neuropeptides. Frequently similar neuropeptides are found in widely divergent species of both invertebrates and in vertebrates. While the function of a few of these neuropeptides has been determined, very little is known about the role that the vast majority of neuropeptides play in the nervous system. The goal of this research project is to determine the physiological function of a neuropeptide called sulfakinin in the fruitfly, Drosophila. Sulfakinin is very similar to another peptide, cholecystokinin, that is found in the brains of vertebrates. The fruitfly is an excellent animal in which to do these studies because it is possible to look at Drosophila that have mutations in the genes that code for the neuropeptide sulfakinin. By determining the effect these mutations have on the behavior of the animal, one can hope to figure out what role this neuropeptide plays in the central nervous system. Since similar peptides exist in a wide variety of animals and humans, the results of these studies will be applicable to those organisms as well.

IBN-9409623 Ruthann Nichols 在过去的几十年里，研究人员发现了许多存在于脊椎动物和无脊椎动物中枢神经系统中的肽。这些肽被称为神经肽。在无脊椎动物和脊椎动物中发现的神经肽常常是相似的。虽然这些神经肽中的一些的功能已经被确定，但对于绝大多数神经肽在神经系统中发挥的作用知之甚少。这个研究项目的目标是确定果蝇中一种叫做sulfakinin的神经肽的生理功能。磺胺激肽与另一种在脊椎动物大脑中发现的缩胆囊素非常相似。果蝇是一种很好的研究对象，因为我们可以观察果蝇中编码神经肽磺胺激肽的基因突变。通过确定这些突变对动物行为的影响，人们可以希望弄清楚这种神经肽在中枢神经系统中起什么作用。由于类似的肽存在于各种动物和人类中，这些研究的结果也将适用于这些生物体。