A Genome-Wide Analysis of Nociception Molecules, from Expression to Function

描述（由申请人提供）：对伤害性感觉神经元中运作的分子机制的透彻理解将导致对急性疼痛的保护性分子机制的更好理解。为了鉴定伤害感受分子，我们先前使用果蝇进行了伤害感受缺陷突变体的遗传筛选。这导致我们发现了无痛基因，它在伤害感受神经元中显示出丰富的表达，并且是急性伤害感受所必需的。无痛基因以及一个名为dTRPA1的相关基因编码TRPA1的同源物。TRPA1突变中的人类突变导致家族性发作性疼痛综合征（FEPS），并且TRPA1在伤害感受器神经元中高度表达。我们已经确定了扒手作为一个关键的调节器的机械伤害，这是专门表达在果蝇伤害感受器。本研究的目的是鉴定果蝇伤害感受器神经元中表达的其他基因，并测试这些基因在伤害感受中的功能需求。在我们最近将IV类多树枝状神经元确定为果蝇幼虫多模式伤害感受器的研究的基础上，我们将：1）确定伤害性IV类多树枝状神经元的完整转录组。2)使用组织特异性RNAi在这些细胞中体内敲低，测试在伤害感受性感觉神经元中具有富集表达的基因的功能需求。3.）第三章功能特征的一个子集的新的基因，我们确定是必不可少的伤害感受的目的1和2。在短期内，这些研究将提供关键的洞察伤害感受的分子和细胞机制，使用高通量的方法，这是可能使用果蝇。从长远来看，这些研究可能最终允许识别有助于人类伤害感受的进化保守机制。!

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A thorough understanding of the molecular machinery that operates in nociceptive sensory neurons will lead to greater understanding of the protective molecular mechanisms of acute pain. To identify nociception molecules, we previously carried out a genetic screen for nociception defective mutants using the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster. This led to our discovery of the painless gene, which shows enriched expression in nociceptive sensory neurons and is required for acute nociception. The painless gene, as well as a related gene named dTRPA1, encode homologues of TRPA1. Human mutations in TRPA1 mutations lead to familial episodic pain syndrome (FEPS) and TRPA1 is highly expressed in nociceptor neurons. We have identified pickpocket as a critical regulator of mechanical nociception which is specifically expressed in Drosophila nociceptors. The purpose of this proposal is to identify other genes expressed in nociceptor neurons of Drosophila and to test the functional requirement of those genes in nociception. Building upon our recent studies that identified the Class IV multidendritic neurons as polymodal nociceptors of the Drosophila larva we will: 1) Determine the complete transcriptome of nociceptive Class IV multidendritic neurons. 2) Test the functional requirement of genes with enriched expression in nociceptive sensory neurons using tissue specific RNAi knockdown in these cells in vivo. 3.) Functionally characterize a subset of novel genes that we identify to be essential for nociception in Aims 1 and 2. In the short term, these studies will provide critical insight into molecular and cellular mechanisms of nociception using a high throughput approach that is made possible using Drosophila. In the long term, these studies may eventually allow for the identification of evolutionarily conserved mechanisms that contribute to human nociception. !