scholarly journals Independent natural genetic variation of punishment- versus relief-memory

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 20160657 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirjam Appel ◽  
Claus-Jürgen Scholz ◽  
Samet Kocabey ◽  
Sinead Savage ◽  
Christian König ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Natural Variation ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Inbred Strains ◽  
Adaptive Behaviour ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Natural Genetic Variation ◽  
Study Case ◽  
Positive Valence

A painful event establishes two opponent memories: cues that are associated with pain onset are remembered negatively, whereas cues that coincide with the relief at pain offset acquire positive valence. Such punishment- versus relief-memories are conserved across species, including humans, and the balance between them is critical for adaptive behaviour with respect to pain and trauma. In the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster as a study case, we found that both punishment- and relief-memories display natural variation across wild-derived inbred strains, but they do not covary, suggesting a considerable level of dissociation in their genetic effectors. This provokes the question whether there may be heritable inter-individual differences in the balance between these opponent memories in man, with potential psycho-clinical implications.

Locomotion is not influenced by denticle number in larvae of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster

2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (2) ◽  
pp. 368-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark J Fitzpatrick ◽  
Evelyn Szewczyk
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Related Species ◽  
Natural Variation ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Fruit Flies ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Closely Related Species ◽  
Locomotory Performance ◽  
Locomotion Speed

Denticles are small projections on the underside of larval fruit flies that are used to grip the substrate while crawling. Previous studies have shown that (i) there is natural variation in denticle number and pattern between Drosophila melanogaster (Meigen, 1830) and several closely related species and (ii) mutations affecting denticle morphology have negative effects on locomotory performance. We hypothesized that there would be a correlation between denticle number and locomotory performance within populations of D. melanogaster. Despite finding considerable variation in denticle number, we found no correlation between denticle number and three measurements of larval locomotion: speed, acceleration, and absolute turning rate.

scholarly journals Natural Genetic Variation and Candidate Genes for Morphological Traits in Drosophila melanogaster

PLoS ONE ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. e0160069 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria Paula Carreira ◽  
Julián Mensch ◽  
Esteban Hasson ◽  
Juan José Fanara
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Candidate Genes ◽  
Morphological Traits ◽  
Natural Genetic Variation

scholarly journals Genetic architecture of natural variation in visual senescence in Drosophila

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (43) ◽  
pp. E6620-E6629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Anna Carbone ◽  
Akihiko Yamamoto ◽  
Wen Huang ◽  
Rachel A. Lyman ◽  
Tess Brune Meadors ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Life Span ◽  
Candidate Genes ◽  
Natural Variation ◽  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Nervous System Development ◽  
Interindividual Variation ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Age Dependent

Senescence, i.e., functional decline with age, is a major determinant of health span in a rapidly aging population, but the genetic basis of interindividual variation in senescence remains largely unknown. Visual decline and age-related eye disorders are common manifestations of senescence, but disentangling age-dependent visual decline in human populations is challenging due to inability to control genetic background and variation in histories of environmental exposures. We assessed the genetic basis of natural variation in visual senescence by measuring age-dependent decline in phototaxis using Drosophila melanogaster as a genetic model system. We quantified phototaxis at 1, 2, and 4 wk of age in the sequenced, inbred lines of the Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) and found an average decline in phototaxis with age. We observed significant genetic variation for phototaxis at each age and significant genetic variation in senescence of phototaxis that is only partly correlated with phototaxis. Genome-wide association analyses in the DGRP and a DGRP-derived outbred, advanced intercross population identified candidate genes and genetic networks associated with eye and nervous system development and function, including seven genes with human orthologs previously associated with eye diseases. Ninety percent of candidate genes were functionally validated with targeted RNAi-mediated suppression of gene expression. Absence of candidate genes previously implicated with longevity indicates physiological systems may undergo senescence independent of organismal life span. Furthermore, we show that genes that shape early developmental processes also contribute to senescence, demonstrating that senescence is part of a genetic continuum that acts throughout the life span.

scholarly journals Natural genetic variation in transcriptome reflects network structure inferred with major effect mutations: insulin/TOR and associated phenotypes in Drosophila melanogaster

BMC Genomics ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergey V Nuzhdin ◽  
Jennifer A Brisson ◽  
Andrew Pickering ◽  
Marta L Wayne ◽  
Lawrence G Harshman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Network Structure ◽  
Major Effect ◽  
Natural Genetic Variation

Drowsy Drosophila: Rapid Evolution in the Face of Climate Change

2018 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 272-277
Author(s):  
Jennifer Broo ◽  
Jessica Mahoney ◽  
Julie Bokor ◽  
Daniel Hahn
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Rapid Evolution ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Fruit Fly ◽  
Modern Times ◽  
The Face

Climate change can drive evolution. This connection is clear both historically and in modern times. The three-lesson curriculum described below provides opportunities for students to make connections between climate change and evolution through various modes of inquiry and self-investigation. Students examine how genetic variation may either facilitate or limit the ability for species to survive changing climates through work with the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. Students are asked to layer new understanding of the mechanisms of evolution onto their observations of genetic variation in fruit fly thermotolerance, and then synthesize this information to make predictions regarding the survival of species threatened by climate change.

scholarly journals Characterizing Male-Female Interactions Using Natural Genetic Variation in Drosophila melanogaster

2014 ◽  
Vol 106 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Reinhart ◽  
T. Carney ◽  
A. G. Clark ◽  
A. C. Fiumera
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Natural Genetic Variation
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