title: The arouser EPS8L3 gene is critical for normal memory in Drosophila.
abstract: The genetic mechanisms that influence memory formation and sensitivity to the effects of ethanol on behavior in Drosophila have some common elements. So far, these have centered on the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway, synapsin and fas2-dependent processes, pumilio-dependent regulators of translation, and a few other genes. However, there are several genes that are important for one or the other behaviors, suggesting that there is an incomplete overlap in the mechanisms that support memory and ethanol sensitive behaviors. The basis for this overlap is far from understood. We therefore examined memory in arouser (aru) mutant flies, which have recently been identified as having ethanol sensitivity deficits. The aru mutant flies showed memory deficits in both short-term place memory and olfactory memory tests. Flies with a revertant aru allele had wild-type levels of memory performance, arguing that the aru gene, encoding an EPS8L3 product, has a role in Drosophila memory formation. Furthermore, and interestingly, flies with the aru(8-128) insertion allele had deficits in only one of two genetic backgrounds in place and olfactory memory tests. Flies with an aru imprecise excision allele had deficits in tests of olfactory memory. Quantitative measurements of aru EPS8L3 mRNA expression levels correlate decreased expression with deficits in olfactory memory while over expression is correlated with place memory deficits. Thus, mutations of the aru EPS8L3 gene interact with the alleles of a particular genetic background to regulate arouser expression and reveals a role of this gene in memory.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America.
authors.forename: Holly
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: LaFerriere
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ostrowski
authors.forename: Douglas J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Guarnieri
authors.forename: Troy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zars
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017344:Genes, Insect / Q000235:genetics*; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C560424:aru protein, Drosophila