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Essay On Starvation Based Modulation

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Since we have established the working model for starvation based modulation we wanted to confirm it using molecular techniques. Firstly, we wanted to check the levels of relative gene expression of a few important genes between starved and non-starved larvae. We performed qRT-PCR analysis with larval whole heads. We looked at relative expression levels of these genes: Orco, GAD1, GABA (A) receptor, GABA (B) receptor R1, GABA (B) receptor R2 and GABA (B) receptor R3. We haven’t found any significant difference between starved and non-starved larvae for all the genes above except Orco. The relative gene expression of Orco was significantly much higher in the case of non-starved condition. Since qRT-PCR analysis was done for …show more content…

We used Orco-Gal4 and 10x; UAS-CD8; GFP to drive GFP into the ORNs. We used primary antibody that was a chicken anti-GFP (1:150, Invitrogen) and rabbit anti GABA (B) R1 (sequence mentioned above) in 0.2%PPST+5% normal goat serum (Triton X-100). Samples were incubated overnight at 4 degrees C. Secondary antibodies were a goat anti-chicken Alexa 488 (1:150, Invitrogen) and a goat anti-rabbit Alexa 647 (1:75, Invitrogen) in 0.2% PBST+5% normal goat serum. GFP staining was clearly observed in ORN’s which is represented in Figure 10. This result suggests that ORN’s project much deeper into the brain than thought previously. Next, we looked for the presence of GABA (B) receptors in the larval antennal lobe. Immunohistochemistry analysis were performed in animals expressing GFP in all 21 ORNs. We found that GABA (B) receptor R1 localized to the ORN synaptic terminals. We conclude that the GABA (B) R1 is localized at the ORN synapses. Root et al., 2008 observed GABA (B) receptors on ORNs in adult flies. Here with our results, consistent with Root et al, we are seeing GABA (B) receptors staining in larval stage too. Staining image is represented in Figure 11.

GABA (B) receptor is not found in the uniglomerular PN’s Next, we looked at the uniglomerular projection neurons for the presence of GABA (B) receptor R1. We don’t know if uniglomerular PNs have receptors for GABA (B) in the larval stage. To address this question, we used GH-146 gal4 that labels a

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