Selective elimination/RNAi silencing of FMRF-related peptides and their receptors decreases the locomotor activity in Drosophila melanogaster

0394182 - BC 2014 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Kiss, B. - Szlanka, T. - Zvara, Á. - Žurovec, Michal - Šerý, Michal - Kakaš, Štefan - Ramasz, B. - Hegedűs, Z. - Lukacsovich, T. - Puskás, L. - Fónagy, A. - Kiss, I.
Selective elimination/RNAi silencing of FMRF-related peptides and their receptors decreases the locomotor activity in Drosophila melanogaster.
General and Comparative Endocrinology. Roč. 191, SEP 15 (2013), s. 137-145. ISSN 0016-6480. E-ISSN 1095-6840
Institutional support: RVO:60077344
Keywords : Drosophila melanogaster * FMRF-related peptides * G protein-coupled receptors
Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology
Impact factor: 2.674, year: 2013
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016648013002621

Drosophila FMRF-related neuropeptides are functionally unrelated peptides targeting different organs, with different effective thresholds, time-course and expression patterns. They were all suggested to have an effect on the locomotor activity of Drosophila adults. We prepared RNAi knockdowns of the peptides and their specific receptor genes as well as ablated FMRF-positive neurons by inducing apoptosis using the reaper (rpr) gene expression. We show that RNAi silencing of the FaRP and FaRP-receptor genes effectively decreased the startle-induced locomotor activity of flies. Consistantly, the ablation of FMRF-positive neurons by the RS8-Gal4 and/or RS17-Gal4 drivers also significantly decreased fly locomotion.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0225666