Protocol for electron microscopy of Drosophila photoreceptor cells.

In Drosophila, mutations in genes that prevent normal Ca influx after light stimulation usually cause light-dependent retinal degeneration or neurodegeneration, detectable by defects in eye morphology. Here, we present a protocol based on electron microscopy (EM) to observe the morphological structure of photoreceptor cells in Drosophila. We detail how to fix, dehydrate, embed, and polymerize compound eye samples, followed by sectioning, post-staining, and image acquisition, to assess the eye morphology at the ultrastructural level.

Dual-Specificity Phosphatase 14 Regulates Zebrafish Hair Cell Formation Through Activation of p38 Signaling Pathway.

Most cases of acquired hearing loss are due to degeneration and subsequent loss of cochlear hair cells. Whereas mammalian hair cells are not replaced when lost, in zebrafish, they constantly renew and regenerate after injury. However, the molecular mechanism among this difference remains unknown.

Atorvastatin ameliorates depressive behaviors via regulation of α7nAChR expression by PI3K/Akt-BDNF pathway in mice.

Some of the statins have been shown to have antidepressant effects, but whether atorvastatin (AV) has antidepressant effects is unknown. This study was to investigate the effect of AV treatment on depressive behaviors. Herein, we show that AV treatment had antidepressant-like effect in physiological conditions and antidepressant effect in depressive state which depended on α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) expression in the ventral hippocampus (vHPC), but not α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α4β2nAchR) expression in vHPC, nor the α7nAChR and α4β2nAchR expression in dorsal hippocampus (dHPC).

Parallel Synaptic Acetylcholine Signals Facilitate Large Monopolar Cell Repolarization and Modulate Visual Behavior in .

Appropriate termination of the photoresponse in image-forming photoreceptors and downstream neurons is critical for an animal to achieve high temporal resolution. Although the cellular and molecular mechanisms of termination in image-forming photoreceptors have been extensively studied in , the underlying mechanism of termination in their downstream large monopolar cells remains less explored. Here, we show that synaptic ACh signaling, from both amacrine cells (ACs) and L4 neurons, facilitates the rapid repolarization of L1 and L2 neurons.

Gαq splice variants mediate phototransduction, rhodopsin synthesis, and retinal integrity in .

Heterotrimeric G proteins mediate a variety of signaling processes by coupling G protein-coupled receptors to intracellular effector molecules. In the α gene encodes several Gαq splice variants, with the Gαq1 isoform protein playing a major role in fly phototransduction. However, α null mutant flies still exhibit a residual light response, indicating that other Gαq splice variants or additional Gq α subunits are involved in phototransduction.