GENETIC ANALYSIS OF LEARNING AND MEMORY IN DROSOPHILA
Project Number5R01GM034588-05
Contact PI/Project LeaderQUINN, WILLIAM G
Awardee OrganizationMASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Description
Abstract Text
Work with Drosophila learning mutants has yielded insights on the
biochemical mechanism underlying learning and memory. Of the six
learning-deficient mutants isolated to date, four show well defined
alterations in monoamine transmitter metabolism, or in cyclic AMP
metabolism. In general, mutations which affect monoamines tend primarily
to effect learning acqusition; while those which affect cAMP metabolism
tend to affect short term memory retention after training.
For two mutations that affect learning - dunce and Dopa decarboxylase - the
primary metabolic lesions has been identified using gene-dosage studies and
temperature-sensitive alleles. This needs to be done with our other
mutants with well defined biochemical effects - turnip (affects serotonin
receptor binding activity); rutabaga (affects calcium-activated adenylate
cyclase) and radish (affects protein phosphorylation). We will try to do
this (i) by orthodox biochemical experiments on the relevant metabolic
lesions; (ii) by better genetic mapping to ensure that the biochemical
lesions co-map with the learning defect; (iii) by gene-dosage studies and
(iv) by isolating new mutant alleles, including temperature-sensitive
ones. Using segmental-aneuploid screens, we will also try to map and
obtain mutants in other proteins on the learning-related metabolic pathway
- in three monoamine synthetic enzymes, in the Ns protein, and in cAMP
dependent protein kinase.
We will continue our work on the larval heart, which appears to alter its
beat rate by the same serotonin-cAMP system implicated in learning. We
will also continue our behavioral work, seeking to refine the correlation
between biochemistry and behavior for temperature-sensitive dunce and
rutabaga mutants.
No Sub Projects information available for 5R01GM034588-05
Publications
Publications are associated with projects, but cannot be identified with any particular year of the project or fiscal year of funding. This is due to the continuous and cumulative nature of knowledge generation across the life of a project and the sometimes long and variable publishing timeline. Similarly, for multi-component projects, publications are associated with the parent core project and not with individual sub-projects.
No Publications available for 5R01GM034588-05
Patents
No Patents information available for 5R01GM034588-05
Outcomes
The Project Outcomes shown here are displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Institutes of Health. NIH has not endorsed the content below.
No Outcomes available for 5R01GM034588-05
Clinical Studies
No Clinical Studies information available for 5R01GM034588-05
News and More
Related News Releases
No news release information available for 5R01GM034588-05
History
No Historical information available for 5R01GM034588-05
Similar Projects
No Similar Projects information available for 5R01GM034588-05