title: Mutational and pharmacological alterations of neuronal membrane function disrupt conditioning in Drosophila.
abstract: Neuronal membrane channels of Drosophila melanogaster were altered either genetically or pharmacologically in order to investigate the role of specific ionic currents in the acquisition and retention of a conditioned behavior. Conditioning could not be detected for Shaker mutants, in which the fast transient potassium current (IA) is altered; a second potassium channel mutant, eag (ether a go-go) is conditioned like wild type, but the retention period is abnormally short. The napts mutant (no action potential, temperature sensitive), in which nerve excitability is reduced, also expresses normal acquisition and a shortened period of retention. Double mutants of Sh5 and napts as well as Sh5 treated with tetrodotoxin, are essentially normal with respect to acquisition; in both cases these flies remain retention-defective. These experiments therefore reveal a behavioral phenotype of Drosophila mutants in which the primary physiological defect seems to be in the functioning of specific neuronal ionic channels.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000187:drug effects*; D003380:Courtship; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D005260:Female; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000187:drug effects; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010641:Phenotype; D011930:Reaction Time; D013696:Temperature; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels; D013779:Tetrodotoxin