Regulatory Mechanisms of Drosophila Tyrosine Hydroxylase

[9423616]神经递质多巴胺与“简单”行为的生理调节密切相关，如运动控制，以及高级认知功能。这项工作解决了通过操纵指导多巴胺合成的调节机制来干扰神经系统中正常精细调节的多巴胺水平的功能后果。选择黑腹果蝇作为模型系统有助于使用分子遗传技术来规避在其他系统中遇到的限制。这些研究利用重组DNA方法来(1)调节酪氨酸羟化酶的表达，酪氨酸羟化酶是合成多巴胺的限速生物合成酶，(2)在完整的动物中确定干扰这些机制的功能后果。

9423616 The Neurotransmitter dopamine has been strongly implicated in the physiological regulation of "simple" behaviors, such as motor control, as well as in higher order cognitive function. This work addresses the functional consequences of perturbing the normally exquisitely regulated levels of dopamine in the nervous system by manipulation of the regulatory mechanisms directing dopamine synthesis. The choice of Drosophila melanogaster as the model system facilitates the use of molecular genetic techniques to circumvent limitations encountered in other systems. These studies take advantage of recombinant DNA methodology to (1) modulate the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase, the rate-limiting biosynthetic enzyme in the synthesis of dopamine, and (2) determine the functional consequences of perturbing these mechanisms in the intact animal.