DN1(p) circadian neurons coordinate acute light and PDF inputs to produce robust daily behavior in Drosophila.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Daily behaviors in animals are determined by the interplay between internal timing signals from circadian clocks and environmental stimuli such as light. How these signals are integrated to produce timely and adaptive behavior is unclear. The fruit fly Drosophila exhibits clock-driven activity increases that anticipate dawn and dusk and free-running rhythms under constant conditions. Flies also respond to the onset of light and dark with acute increases in activity.

Results

Mutants of a novel ion channel, narrow abdomen (na), lack a robust increase in activity in response to light and show reduced anticipatory behavior and free-running rhythms, providing a genetic link between photic responses and circadian clock function. We used tissue-specific rescue of na to d

SUBMITTER: Zhang L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2864127 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature