The Drosophila larva as a tool to study gut-associated macrophages: PI3K regulates a discrete hemocyte population at the proventriculus

The control of movements is a fundamental feature shared by all animals. At the most basic level, simple movements are generated by coordinated neural activity and muscle contraction patterns that are controlled by the central nervous system. How behavioral responses to various sensory inputs are processed and integrated by the downstream neural network to produce flexible and adaptive behaviors remains an intense area of investigation in many laboratories. Due to recent advances in experimental techniques, many fundamental neural pathways underlying animal movements have now been elucidated. For example, while the role of motor neurons in locomotion has been studied in great detail, the roles of interneurons in animal movements in both basic and noxious environments have only recently been realized. However, the genetic and transmitter identities of many of these interneurons remains unclear. In this review, we provide an overview of the underlying circuitry and neural pathways required by Drosophila larvae to produce successful movements. By improving our understanding of locomotor circuitry in model systems such as Drosophila, we will have a better understanding of how neural circuits in organisms with different bodies and brains lead to distinct locomotion types at the organism level. The understanding of genetic and physiological components of these movements types also provides directions to understand movements in higher organisms.

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Modulatory effects on Drosophila larva hearts: room temperature, acute and chronic cold stress

Journal of Comparative Physiology B ◽

10.1007/s00360-016-0997-x ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 186 (7) ◽

pp. 829-841 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Yue Chen Zhu ◽

Emily Yocom ◽

Jacob Sifers ◽

Henry Uradu ◽

Robin L. Cooper

Keyword(s):

Cold Stress ◽

Room Temperature ◽

Drosophila Larva

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Quantitative and Qualitative Impacts of Selected Arthropod Venoms on the Larval Haemogram of the Greater Wax Moth, Galleria mellonella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Journal of Applied Life Sciences International ◽

10.9734/jalsi/2021/v24i230219 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-26

Author(s):

Karem Ghoneim ◽

Khalid Hamadah ◽

Mohammad Tanani ◽

Dyaa Emam

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Galleria Mellonella ◽

Larval Instar ◽

Population Count ◽

Oriental Hornet ◽

Greater Wax Moth ◽

The World ◽

Lepidoptera Pyralidae ◽

Hemocyte Population ◽

Wax Moth

The greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is the most destructive pest of honey bee, Apis mellifera Linnaeus (Hymenoptera: Apidae), throughout the world. The present study was conducted to determine the quantitative and qualitative impairing effects of the arthropod venoms, viz., death stalker scorpion Leiurus quinquestriatus (Hemprich & Ehrenberg) venom (SV), oriental Hornet (wasp) Vespa orientalis Linnaeus venom (WV) and Apitoxin of A. mellifera (AP) on the larval haemogram. For this purpose, the 3rd instar larvae were treated with LC50 of each of these venoms (3428.9, 2412.6, and 956.16 ppm, respectively). The haematological investigation was conducted in haemolymph of the 5th and 7th (last) instar larvae. The important results could be summarized as follows. Five basic types of the freely circulating haemocytes in the haemolymph of last instar (7th) larvae of G. mellonella had been identified: Prohemocytes (PRs), Plasmatocytes (PLs), Granulocytes (GRs), Spherulocytes (SPs) and Oenocytoids (OEs). All venoms unexceptionally prohibited the larvae to produce normal hemocyte population (count). No certain trend of disturbance in the differential hemocyte counts of circulating hemocytes in larvae of G. mellonella after treatment with the arthropod venoms. Increasing or decreasing population of the circulating hemocytes seemed to depend on the potency of the venom, hemocyte type and the larval instar. In PRs of last instar larvae, some cytopathological features had been observed after treatment with AP or WV, but SV failed to cause cytopathological features. With regard to PLs, some cytopathological features had been observed after treatment with AP while both SV and WV failed to cause cytopathological features in this hemocyte type. No venom exhibited cytopathological effects on GRs, SPs or OEs.

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