title: Optimization of wrMTrck to monitor Drosophila larval locomotor activity.
abstract: An efficient and low-cost method of examining larval movement in Drosophila melanogaster is needed to study how mutations and/or alterations in the muscular, neural, and olfactory systems affect locomotor behavior. Here, we describe the implementation of wrMTrck, a freely available ImageJ plugin originally developed for examining multiple behavioral parameters in the nematode C. elegans. Our optimized method is rapid, reproducible and does not require automated microscope setups or the purchase of proprietary software. To demonstrate the utility of this method, we analyzed the velocity and crawling paths of two Drosophila mutants that affect muscle structure and/or function. Additionally, we show that this approach is useful for tracking the behavior of adult insects, including Tribolium castaneum and Drosophila melanogaster.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States.
authors.forename: Kumar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vishal
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Kansas City, MO 64110, United States.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Kansas City, MO 64110, United States.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bouyain
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, United States. Electronic address: geisbrechte@ksu.edu.
authors.forename: Erika R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Geisbrecht
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D007814:Larva / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D008124:Locomotion; D012984:Software
keywords: Behavior assay; Drosophila; Larval locomotion; Muscle; Tribolium