Gravitaxic behavior in Drosophila

描述(申请人提供)：所有复杂的多细胞动物感觉 并利用这种感官信息来产生连贯的运动 回应。重力传感机制已经在许多方面进行了研究 动物系统，但到目前为止，还没有系统地应用 用基因的方法解决这个问题。建议的长远目标 这项研究是用遗传学的方法来剖析引力反应 模式生物黑腹果蝇的运作机制。给定 分子信号通路的广泛进化保守性已经 在真核生物中建立起来的，在果蝇中发现的机制可能是 与人类的引力反应直接相关。我们已经养成了行为 基于重力迷宫检测重力异常的范例 果蝇的反应。使用这些化验方法，我们已经确定了至少50 具有改变重力行为的突变菌株。其中大约一半的人 菌株，导致重力表型的突变的位置 已经确定，对于14个菌株来说，受突变影响的基因已经 已被初步确认。近期的具体目标 包括遗传互补/作图研究、行为研究和基因 表达研究将更准确地定义与 各种突变。重力迷宫中行为的模拟研究是 除了开发更简单的重力分析外，还计划 可以在微重力下使用。通过协调来自这些不同的 单个引力突变体的实验路线，我们将能够 回答以下问题。I)中枢神经系统的哪些区域 用来处理和协调引力信息？Ii)哪一个 外周感觉器官是用来感觉重力的？三)光的作用是什么 在调节重力反应中起了什么作用？IV)哪些分子信号通路 用于处理外围设备中的引力信息 中枢神经系统？

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): All complex multicellular animals sense gravity and use this sensory information to generate coherent locomotor responses. Gravitational sensing mechanisms have been investigated in many animal systems, but to date, there has been no systematic application of a genetic approach to this problem. The long-term objective of the proposed research is to use a genetic approach to dissect out the gravitational response mechanisms operating in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. Given the broad evolutionary conservation of molecular signaling pathways already established in eukaryotes, mechanisms identified in Drosophila are likely to be directly relevant to human gravitational responses. We have developed behavioral paradigms based on the use of gravitaxic mazes for detecting aberrant gravitaxic responses in Drosophila. Using, these assays, we have identified at least 50 mutant strains with altered gravitaxic behavior. For approximately half of these strains, the location of the mutation responsible for the gravitaxic phenotype has been determined and for 14 strains, the gene affected by the mutation has been preliminarily identified. The specific aims for the immediate future include genetic complementation/mapping studies, behavioral studies and gene expression studies that will define more exactly the lesions associated with the various mutations. Modeling studies of the behavior in the gravitaxic mazes is also planned in addition to the development of simpler gravitaxic assays that could be used in microgravity. By coordinating information from these various experimental routes for the individual gravitaxic mutants we will be able to address the following questions. i) Which regions of the central nervous system are used to process and coordinate gravitational information? ii) Which peripheral sense organs are used to sense gravity? iii) What role does light play in modulating gravitaxic responses? iv) What molecular signaling pathways are used in the processing of gravitational information in the peripheral and central nervous systems?