Gravitaxic behavior in Drosophila

果蝇的重力行为

• 批准号: 6647147
• 负责人: Kathleen Mary Beckingham
• 金额: $ 14.51万
• 依托单位: RICE UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-08-01 至 2006-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6647147
• 关键词: Drosophilidae; behavior test; behavioral /social science research tag; ethology; genetic mapping; gravity; mutant; neural information processing; photobiology; sensory mechanism

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?

描述（由申请人提供）：所有复杂的多细胞动物都有感觉 并利用这种感觉信息来产生连贯的运动 应答重力感应机制已经在许多领域进行了研究。 动物系统，但迄今为止，还没有系统地应用 遗传学方法来解决这个问题。拟议的长期目标 研究是用遗传学的方法来剖析重力反应， 在模式生物果蝇中运作的机制。鉴于 分子信号通路的广泛进化保守性已经 在真核生物中建立，在果蝇中鉴定的机制可能是 与人类的引力反应直接相关。我们已经发展出了 基于使用重力迷宫检测异常重力迷宫的范例 果蝇的反应使用这些检测，我们已经确定了至少50个 具有改变的重力行为的突变株。其中大约有一半 菌株，导致重力表型的突变的位置 已经确定，对于14种菌株，受突变影响的基因已经 已初步确定。近期的具体目标 包括遗传互补/绘图研究、行为研究和基因 表达的研究，将更准确地定义病变相关的 各种突变。在重力迷宫中的行为的建模研究是 除了开发更简单的重力测定外， 可以在微重力下使用。通过协调这些不同的信息， 我们将能够为单个重力突变体的实验路线， 回答以下问题。（一）中枢神经系统的哪些区域 用来处理和协调引力信息（二）哪些 是用来感知重力的吗（三）灯光的作用 在调节重力反应中起什么作用 iv）什么样的分子信号通路 用于处理外围的重力信息， 中枢神经系统？

项目成果

Drosophila melanogaster--the model organism of choice for the complex biology of multi-cellular organisms.

• 发表时间: 2005-06
• 期刊: Gravitational and space biology bulletin : publication of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology
• 作者: K. Beckingham;J. Armstrong;M. Texada;R. Munjaal;D. Baker