Characterizing the Protein Isoforms of (), the PKGI Ortholog in .

The () gene of encodes a cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG), which is a major effector of the cGMP signaling pathway involved in the regulation of behaviour and metabolic traits. Despite being well studied at the transcript level, little is known about the gene at the protein level. Here, we provide a detailed characterization of the gene protein (FOR) products and present new tools for their study, including five isoform-specific antibodies and a transgenic strain that carries an HA-labelled allele ().

Transcriptomic effects of the foraging gene shed light on pathways of pleiotropy and plasticity.

Genes are often pleiotropic and plastic in their expression, features which increase and diversify the functionality of the genome. The foraging (for) gene in Drosophila melanogaster is highly pleiotropic and a long-standing model for studying individual differences in behavior and plasticity from ethological, evolutionary, and genetic perspectives. Its pleiotropy is known to be linked to its complex molecular structure; however, the downstream pathways and interactors remain mostly elusive.

The gene plays a vital role at the start of metamorphosis for subsequent adult emergence.

The () gene has been extensively studied in many species for its functions in development, physiology, and behavior. It is common for genes that influence behavior and development to be essential genes, and has been found to be an essential gene in both fruit flies and mammals, with mutants dying before reaching the adult stage. However, the biological process underlying the lethality associated with this gene is not known.

Distinct functions of a cGMP-dependent protein kinase in nerve terminal growth and synaptic vesicle cycling.

Sustained neurotransmission requires the tight coupling of synaptic vesicle (SV) exocytosis and endocytosis. The mechanisms underlying this coupling are poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that a cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG), encoded by the () gene in , is critical for this process using a null mutant, genomic rescues and tissue-specific rescues.

Both maternal care received and genotype influence stress-related phenotype in female rats.

Rat dams differ naturally in the level of maternal care they provide to their offspring within the same litter. We explored possible mechanisms of differential maternal care focused on genetic variation. We examined single nucleotide polymorphisms in the glucocorticoid receptor, FK506-binding protein, and serotonin transporter genes in two separate cohorts, and the relationship between differential maternal care received, genotype, and offspring phenotype.

The Drosophila gene human orthologue predicts individual differences in the effects of early adversity on maternal sensitivity.

There is variation in the extent to which childhood adverse experience affects adult individual differences in maternal behavior. Genetic variation in the animal gene, which encodes a cGMP-dependent protein kinase, contributes to variation in the responses of adult fruit flies, , to early life adversity and is also known to play a role in maternal behavior in social insects. Here we investigate genetic variation in the human foraging gene () as a predictor of individual differences in the effects of early adversity on maternal behavior in two cohorts.

Foraging Path-length Protocol for Drosophila melanogaster Larvae.

The Drosophila melanogaster larval path-length phenotype is an established measure used to study the genetic and environmental contributions to behavioral variation. The larval path-length assay was developed to measure individual differences in foraging behavior that were later linked to the foraging gene. Larval path-length is an easily scored trait that facilitates the collection of large sample sizes, at minimal cost, for genetic screens.