POU DOMAIN PROTEIN FUNCTION IN OLFACTION

几乎所有在人类和脊椎动物中的基本生物学过程都可以在果蝇身上得到极大的研究。嗅觉也不例外。我希望利用果蝇可用的遗传学和体内生理学工具来研究嗅觉系统的发展，特别是每个嗅觉感觉神经元是如何获得其最终分化形式的。我将研究由acj6编码的POU结构域转录因子，它是许多神经元对特定气味亚群敏感所必需的。我将筛选与acj6相互作用的新基因，重点关注可能发生在Acj6蛋白转录靶基因或与Acj6相互作用的蛋白质编码基因的突变。同时，我将通过检测这些基因在嗅觉器官中的表达，并对这些基因的突变体进行电生理测试，来研究其他三个果蝇POU基因也在嗅觉中发挥作用的假设。

Nearly ever basic biological process in humans and in vertebrates in general can be studied to great advantage in the fruit fly Drosophila. Olfaction is no exception. I wish to employ the genetic and in vivo physiological tools that are available for Drosophila to study the development of the olfactory system, in particular, how each olfactory sensory neuron acquires its final differentiated form. I will study the POU-domain transcription factor encoded by acj6, which is required in many neurons for their sensitivities to specific subsets of odorants. I will screen for new genes which interact with acj6, focusing on mutations which are likely to be in transcriptional target genes of the Acj6 protein, or in genes encoding proteins that interact with Acj6. In parallel, I will investigate the hypothesis that three other Drosophila POU genes also play a role in olfaction, by examining the expression of these genes in the olfactory organs, and by performing electrophysiological tests on mutants for these genes.