Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Commons^™

Do Innexins Function In The Extreme Cold Response Of Drosophila Melanogaster, Madison A. Ward

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Nociception is an organism’s ability to detect, process and reflexively respond to potentially damaging stimuli. While the process of nociception has clear, protective advantages, inappropriate and prolonged signaling can lead to chronic pain in humans. Nociception is a vital and genetically conserved process, thus cold nociception in Drosophilaprovides a model for identifying molecular components required for nociceptor function in vertebrates. Drosophila Class III dendritic arborization (da) neurons have previously been shown to be involved in the cold nociceptive response. Due to the importance of fast response to damaging stimuli, we hypothesize that electrical synapses are involved in cold nociception. …

Reverse Genetic Screening Of Innexin Gap Junction Proteins In Drosophila Neurons, Shannon P. Fox

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The reflexive response and perception of pain (nociception) is an evolutionarily conserved process in animals. Pain can be a major health concern and current treatments often prove insufficient, especially in regards to chronic pain. Greater understanding of the molecular processes underlying pain sensation could lead to new and more effective treatments. The aim of this study is to investigate the molecular mechanisms of cold nociception in Drosophila melanogaster. A specific subset of peripheral sensory neurons (Class III dendritic arborization (da) neurons), are implicated in Drosophila larvae’s response to noxious cold.

Previous literature has associated a family of gap junction protein, …