title: Determination of the spontaneous locomotor activity in Drosophila melanogaster.
abstract: Drosophila melanogaster has been used as an excellent model organism to study environmental and genetic manipulations that affect behavior. One such behavior is spontaneous locomotor activity. Here we describe our protocol that utilizes Drosophila population monitors and a tracking system that allows continuous monitoring of the spontaneous locomotor activity of flies for several days at a time. This method is simple, reliable, and objective and can be used to examine the effects of aging, sex, changes in caloric content of food, addition of drugs, or genetic manipulations that mimic human diseases.
authors.affiliation: Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center.
authors.forename: Jared K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Woods
authors.affiliation: Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center.
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kowalski
authors.affiliation: Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center; Rogina@neuron.uchc.edu.
authors.forename: Blanka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rogina
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D012984:Software
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