TRANSDUCTION AND RETINAL DEGENERATION IN DROSOPHILA

描述（改编自申请人的摘要）：虽然与 脊椎动物系统中，果蝇的光转导在几个方面是相似的 尊重，遗传系统的力量证明其作为模型的使用是合理的。 该申请人已对基因进行了广泛的遗传筛选 这可能会影响视网膜变性的速度，而视网膜变性是由改变引起的 视紫红质：抑制蛋白比率。 总共筛选了 350,000 只 F1 果蝇，结果 112个新的显性突变。 这种创新方法与 直接发现光转导突变体需要付出巨大的努力 他们的 ERG 表型。 有四个具体目标。 在第一个目标中， 申请人将研究集合中的十个新的抑制蛋白等位基因 确定无效 ERG 表型，并检查 磷酸化、视紫红质结合和视紫红质抑制蛋白的功能 C端结构域。 第二个目标集中在十种新的视紫红质突变体 会导致视网膜变性，其中一些在小说中是这样的 光依赖方式。 第三个目标涉及分子分离和 一个新的视网膜变性位点的特征在四次恢复 屏幕。 第四个目标是追求他人的特征 屏幕上恢复了突变。

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from applicant's abstract): While not identical to vertebrate systems, Drosophila phototransduction is similar in several respects, and the power of the genetic system justifies its use as a model. Extensive genetic screens have been conducted by this applicant for genes that can affect the rate of retinal degeneration which follows from altered rhodopsin:arrestin ratios. In all, 350,000 F1 flies screened have yielded 112 new dominant mutations. This innovative approach stands in contrast to the huge effort required to discover phototransduction mutants directly by their ERG phenotypes. There are four specific aims. In the first aim, the applicant will study the ten new arrestin alleles in the collection by determining the null ERG phenotype, and examining the role of phosphorylation, rhodopsin binding and the function of the arrestin C-terminal domain. The second aim focuses on the ten new rhodopsin mutants that cause retinal degeneration, some of which do so in a novel light-dependent manner. The third aim involves the molecular isolation and characterization of a new retinal degeneration locus recovered four times in the screen. The fourth aim is to pursue the characterization of the other mutations recovered in the screens.