title: Thermotaxis, circadian rhythms, and TRP channels in Drosophila.
abstract: The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is a poikilothermic organism that must detect and respond to both fine and coarse changes in environmental temperature in order maintain optimal body temperature, synchronize behavior to daily temperature fluctuations, and to avoid potentially injurious environmental hazards. Members of the Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) family of cation channels are well known for their activation by changes in temperature and their essential roles in sensory transduction in both invertebrates and vertebrates. The Drosophila genome encodes 13 TRP channels, and several of these have key sensory transduction and modulatory functions in allowing larval and adult flies to make fine temperature discriminations to attain optimal body temperature, detect and avoid large environmental temperature fluctuations, and make rapid escape responses to acutely noxious stimuli. Drosophila use multiple, redundant signaling pathways and neural circuits to execute these behaviors in response to both increases and decreases in temperature of varying magnitudes and time scales. A plethora of powerful molecular and genetic tools and the fly's simple, well-characterized nervous system have given Drosophila neurobiologists a powerful platform to study the cellular and molecular mechanisms of TRP channel function and how these mechanisms are conserved in vertebrates, as well as how these channels function within sensorimotor circuits to generate both simple and complex thermosensory behaviors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology; Appalachian State University ; Boone, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bellemer
keywords: A1, 1st Antennal Segment; A2, 2nd Antennal Segment; A3, 3rd Antennal Segment; AC, Anterior Cell; AL, Antennal Lobe; AR, Arista; Clk, Clock protein; Cry, Cryptochrome; Cyc, Cycle protein; DN1, DN2, DN3, Dorsal Neuron group 1, 2, 3; Dbt, Double Time protein; Drosophila melanogaster; GFP, Green Fluorescent Protein; GPCR, G Protein-Coupled Receptor; LN, Lateral Neuron; LNd, Dorsal Lateral Neuron; LNv, Ventral Lateral Neuron; LPN, Lateral Posterior Neuron; NEL, Nocifensive Escape Locomotion; PAP, Proximal Antennal Protocerebrum; PDF, Pigment Dispersing Factor; PKD1, Polycistic Kidney Disease 1; PLC, Phospholipase C; Per, Period protein; RNAi, RNA interference; SAC, Sacculus; SLPR, Superior Lateral Protocerebrum; SOG, Suboesophageal Ganglion; TRP channels; TRP, Transient Receptor Potential; TRPA, Transient Receptor Potential, group A (ankyrin repeat); TRPA1; TRPC, Transient Receptor Potential, group C (canonical); TRPL, TRP-Like; TRPM, Transient Receptor Potential, group M (melastatin); TRPP, Transient Receptor Potential, group P (polycystic); TRPV, Transient Receptor Potential, group V (vanilloid); Tim, Timeless protein; VFP, Venus Fluorescent Protein; circadian rhythms; lLNv, Ventral Lateral Neuron, large cell body; mdIV, Multidendritic Neuron, class IV; nociception; sLNv, Ventral Lateral Neuron, small cell body; thermoTRP, thermosensitive TRP channel; thermosensation; thermotaxis