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Full-Text Articles in Neuroscience and Neurobiology
Recovery From Social Isolation In Drosophila: The Role Of Dopamine And The Autism-Related Gene Nlg3., Ryley T. Yost
Recovery From Social Isolation In Drosophila: The Role Of Dopamine And The Autism-Related Gene Nlg3., Ryley T. Yost
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Within a group, individuals establish their preferred distance from each other, or social space, a form of social behaviour. The resulting distance depends on the exchange of social cues from others that needs to be perceived and integrated within the organism’s neural circuitry. In humans, social spacing can be impaired in neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. When organisms are subject to social isolation, profound changes in social behaviour are observed in a variety of species from insects to mammals, including social space. However, the genetic and molecular mechanisms modulating a behavioural response to isolation and possible recovery remain …
Investigating The Age-Dependent Impact Of Lactate Dehydrogenase On Cognition In Flies And Mice, Ariel Khaya Frame
Investigating The Age-Dependent Impact Of Lactate Dehydrogenase On Cognition In Flies And Mice, Ariel Khaya Frame
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Lactate is a carbohydrate breakdown product typically produced in astrocytes, a type of glial cell, and transported to neurons within the brain. This type of metabolic coupling is commonly referred to as the astrocyte neuron lactate shuttle (ANLS). While numerous studies have shown that the ANLS is involved in cognition in mammals few have taken into consideration sex differences, changes with age, or evolutionary conservation in invertebrates. Lactate metabolism is controlled by the enzymatic interconversion of pyruvate and lactate in a reaction catalyzed by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). In this thesis I examined cognitive changes across lifespan affected by genetic manipulation …
The Role Of Histone Demethylases In Learning And Memory In The Mushroom Body Of Drosophila Melanogaster, Crystal Keung
The Role Of Histone Demethylases In Learning And Memory In The Mushroom Body Of Drosophila Melanogaster, Crystal Keung
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Intellectual disability (ID) is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with many epigenetic regulators and chromatin modifying enzymes like histone lysine methyltransferases (KMTs) and demethylases (KDMs). Here, I systematically investigate the role of 7 KDMs: Su(var)3-3, KDM2, Lid, CG2982, UTX, KDM4B, JHDM2, and 1 KMT: trr in the context of learning and memory using Drosophila melanogaster. Genetic knockdown of each gene in the mushroom body (MB) of flies are tested for short- and long-term memory impairment using courtship conditioning. Knockdown of 6 KDMs and trr resulted in memory loss. MB morphology was analyzed to determine potential cause of memory loss. …
Tracking Behavioural And Neuronal Responses To Social Pheromones: Insights From A Drosophila Model, Justin R. Croft
Tracking Behavioural And Neuronal Responses To Social Pheromones: Insights From A Drosophila Model, Justin R. Croft
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
If eusociality evolved through modification of pre-social mechanisms for regulating personal reproduction, then even insects like Drosophila may be vulnerable to latent effects of 'queen' pheromone. Here, I test if male fruit flies respond to a eusocial queen bee pheromone. I found that male flies were attracted to queen bee pheromone, and pheromone-treated males raised the intensity of their courting towards conspecific females. These novel observations from Drosophila suggest that male flies have the capacity to respond to queen pheromone in a manner that is comparable to the native response from male (drone) bees. I therefore optimized a nuclear factor …
The Effect Of Age On Social Behaviour In Drosophila Melanogaster And The Progeny Of Aged Parents, Dova Brenman
The Effect Of Age On Social Behaviour In Drosophila Melanogaster And The Progeny Of Aged Parents, Dova Brenman
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Recent studies have linked neuropsychiatric disorders to older parents. These disorders often include changes in social behaviours like the social spacing between neighbouring individuals, which can be modeled in organisms such as Drosophila melanogaster. I investigated the effects of aging on the social space between neighbouring D. melanogaster and how aging impacts the next generation. To achieve this, I used the social space assay and found that individuals become less social with age and that this effect is passed on to the first generation only. Additionally, accelerating the physiological process of aging via increased rearing temperatures or exposure to …