title: Drosophila mechanotransduction--linking proteins and functions.
abstract: The sensation of touch, gravity, and sound all rely on dedicated ion channels that transduce mechanical stimulus forces into electrical signals. The functional workings and molecular identities of these mechanotransducer channels are little understood. Recent work shows that the mechanotransducers for fly and vertebrate hearing share equivalent gating mechanisms, whereby this mechanism can be probed non-invasively in the mechanics of the Drosophila ear. Here, we describe how this mechanics can be used to evaluate the roles of identified proteins in the process of mechanosensation and, specifically, their contributions to mechanotransduction.
authors.affiliation: Volkswagen Foundation Research Group, Institute of Zoology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. joerg.albert@uni koeln.de
authors.forename: Jörg T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nadrowski
authors.forename: Martin C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Göpfert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000502:physiology*; D004423:Ear / Q000502:physiology; D006309:Hearing; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins