Characterization of K+ currents and the cAMP-dependent modulation in cultured Drosophila mushroom body neurons identified by lacZ expression

Wright, N. J., Zhong, Y. (February 1995) Characterization of K+ currents and the cAMP-dependent modulation in cultured Drosophila mushroom body neurons identified by lacZ expression. J Neurosci, 15 (2). pp. 1025-34. ISSN 0270-6474 (Print)

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URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7869080

Abstract

Electrophysiological analysis of cultured neurons provides a potential approach toward understanding the physiological defects that may contribute to abnormal behavior exhibited by mutants of the fruit fly Drosophila. However, its application has been restricted by an inability to identify a particular functional or anatomical subpopulation of neurons from the CNS. To study neurons composing the CNS mushroom body proposed as a center for insect olfactory learning, we utilized a Drosophila enhancer detector line that expresses a lacZ reporter gene in these neurons and identified them in acutely dissociated larval CNS cultures by vital fluorescent staining. The patch-clamp analysis suggests that whole-cell voltage-activated K+ currents can be classified into two types in identified mushroom body neurons. Type 1 current comprises a TEA-sensitive slowly inactivating current and noninactivating component while type 2 current contains a 4-AP-sensitive transient A-current and a noninactivating component. Application of cAMP analogs induced distinct modulation of type 1 and type 2 currents. Our results demonstrate that the expression of the lacZ gene and the subsequent staining do not significantly alter the different types of K+ currents. This initial characterization provides a basis for further analysis of mutations that impair learning and memory resulting from an abnormal cAMP cascade preferentially expressed in the mushroom body.

Item Type: Paper
Uncontrolled Keywords: Animals Cells Cultured Central Nervous System cytology physiology Cyclic AMP physiology Drosophila growth & development physiology Electric Conductivity Electrophysiology Gene Expression Lac Operon Larva Neurons physiology Olfactory Pathways cytology physiology Potassium physiology
Subjects: organism description > animal > insect > Drosophila
Investigative techniques and equipment > electrophysiology
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > tissues types and functions > mushroom body
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > neurons
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > neurons
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell types > neurons
organism description > animal behavior > olfactory
Investigative techniques and equipment > patch-clamp recording
Investigative techniques and equipment > recording devices > patch-clamp recording
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL labs > Zhong lab
Depositing User: CSHL Librarian
Date: February 1995
Date Deposited: 29 Mar 2012 19:54
Last Modified: 06 Nov 2017 21:26
Related URLs:
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/25572

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