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具有感知能力 重力并使用这种感觉信息来产生连贯的运动 回应。重力感应机制已在许多领域进行了研究 动物系统，但迄今为止，还没有系统性的应用 遗传学的方法来解决这个问题。拟议的长期目标 研究是使用遗传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 在真核生物中建立的机制，在果蝇中发现的机制很可能是 与人类的重力反应直接相关。我们已经开发出行为 基于使用重力迷宫来检测异常重力的范例 果蝇的反应。通过这些检测，我们已经鉴定出至少 50 具有改变重力行为的突变株。对于其中大约一半 菌株，负责重力表型的突变位置 已确定，对于 14 个菌株，受突变影响的基因已 已初步确定。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。重力迷宫行为的建模研究是 除了开发更简单的重力分析之外，还计划 可用于微重力。通过协调来自这些不同方面的信息 我们将能够对个体重力突变体的实验路线 回答以下问题。 i) 中枢神经系统的哪些区域 用于处理和协调重力信息？ ii) 哪个 外周感觉器官是用来感知重力的吗？ iii) 灯光有什么作用 在调节重力反应中发挥作用？ iv) 什么分子信号传导途径 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