Exploratory behaviour in NO-dependent cyclase mutants of Drosophila shows defects in coincident neuronal signalling.

Background: Drosophila flies explore the environment very efficiently in order to colonize it. They explore collectively, not individually, so that when a few land on a food spot, they attract the others by signs. This behaviour leads to aggregation of individuals and optimizes the screening of mates and egg-laying on the most favourable food spots.

The molecular diversity of Dscam is functionally required for neuronal wiring specificity in Drosophila.

Alternative splicing of Dscam generates an enormous molecular diversity with maximally 38,016 different receptors. Whether this large diversity is required in vivo is currently unclear. We examined the role of Dscam in neuron-target recognition of single mechanosensory neurons, which connect with different target cells through multiple axonal branches.

DspA/E, a type III effector essential for Erwinia amylovora pathogenicity and growth in planta, induces cell death in host apple and nonhost tobacco plants.

Erwinia amylovora is responsible for fire blight, a necrotic disease of apples and pears. E. amylovora relies on a type III secretion system (TTSS) to induce disease on hosts and hypersensitive response (HR) on nonhost plants.