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Full-Text Articles in Neuroscience and Neurobiology
Role Of The Swi/Snf Chromatin Remodelling Complex In The Axon Development Of The Drosophila Mushroom Body, Melissa C. Chubak
Role Of The Swi/Snf Chromatin Remodelling Complex In The Axon Development Of The Drosophila Mushroom Body, Melissa C. Chubak
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
The SWI/SNF complex is an evolutionarily conserved ATP-dependent chromatin remodelling complex that has been implicated in the aetiology of intellectual disability (ID). Among the dominant ID genes, the SWI/SNF complex is the most highly enriched protein complex. However, its role in the nervous system is not yet understood. I systematically investigated the role of this complex in the development of the Drosophila mushroom body (MB), a complex brain structure required for learning and memory. Gross MB morphology was assessed using confocal microscopy to identify morphological defects following RNAi-mediated knockdown of the 15 individual SWI/SNF genes in the MB. Knockdown of …
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 …