Comparative Study on Drosophila Larval Locomotion and Neuromuscular Junction Morphology

Download or read book Comparative Study on Drosophila Larval Locomotion and Neuromuscular Junction Morphology written by Emma Yunyi Yang and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Closely related Drosophila species are ideal models for understanding evolutionary processes. Here we characterize phenotypic variations in locomotion patterns and Neuromuscular Junction morphology within related Drosophila species, D. melanogaster, D. simulans, D. sechellia, D. pseudoobscura, and D. busckii, and demonstrate possible mechanisms underlying these phenotypic differences. We describe larval peristaltic crawling in terms of speed, rate of contractions and dispersal efficiency. Comparisons across species show species-specific pattern of larval locomotion. Quantitative analyses on the NMJ anatomy reveal that the pattern of NMJ morphology correlates with larval locomotor behaviors, and suggests the observed differences in locomotion may be explained by variations in NMJ morphology. We also perform hybrid studies to investigate the inheritance pattern of these traits by using the sibling species D. melanogaster, D. simulans, and D. sechellia. We are able to demonstrate that NMJ formation, larval movement speed, and larval dispersal efficiency are associated with X-linked genes, while the rate of peristaltic contractions is maternally influenced.