Invertebrate Rhodopsin Function

这个项目的总体目标是更好地了解昆虫和其他无脊椎动物的色觉。昆虫利用颜色作为导航、躲避捕食者和识别食物来源的重要线索。布里特博士将研究不同形式的视色素视紫红质是如何适应不同颜色的光的。布里特博士的实验室将以果蝇黑腹果蝇（Drosophila melanogaster）为模型系统，确定视紫红质蛋白中特定的氨基酸，这些氨基酸负责对颜色的敏感度差异，并在吸收光线时激活蛋白质。黑腹果蝇利用具有独特颜色特性的视紫红质形式，这些视觉色素可以使用发达的分子生物学、遗传学和生理学方法进行研究。此外，该实验系统提供了检查各种无脊椎动物视觉色素的机会，例如来自蝴蝶凤蝶的视觉色素。布里特博士将在果蝇和蝴蝶之间进行比较实验，目的是找出这些动物区分不同颜色光的相似和不同的基本原理。布里特博士的工作可能最终为了解光线如何影响昆虫的行为提供重要的见解，从而成为操纵昆虫行为的一种手段。布里特博士也是少数族裔学生的积极导师，并让他们参与他的研究。

Award AbstractThe overall aim of this project is to better understand color vision in insects and other invertebrate animals. Insects use color as an important cue in navigation, avoiding predators and identifying food sources. Dr. Britt will study how different forms of the visual pigment rhodopsin are tuned to different colors of light. Using the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a model system, Dr. Britt's laboratory will identify specific amino acids within the rhodopsin protein that are responsible for differences in color sensitivity and that play a role in activating the protein when light is absorbed. Drosophila melanogaster utilizes forms of rhodopsin that have unique color properties, and these visual pigments can be studied using well-developed molecular biological, genetic and physiological methods. In addition, this experimental system provides the opportunity to examine diverse invertebrate visual pigments, such as those from the butterfly Papilio glaucus. Dr Britt will conduct comparative experiments between fruit flies and butterflies with the aim of identifying fundamental principles underlying the similarities and differences in how these animals distinguish between different colors of light. Dr. Britt's work may ultimately provide important insight into how light influences insect behavior, and thus a means to manipulate insect behavior. Dr. Britt is also an active mentor for students of underrepresented minorities and involves them in his research.