Growing pains: development of the larval nocifensive response in Drosophila.

ABSTRACT: The ability to perceive and avoid harmful substances or stimuli is key to an organism's survival. The neuronal cognate of the perception of pain is known as nociception, and the reflexive motion to avoid pain is termed the nocifensive response. As the nocifensive response is an ancient and evolutionarily conserved behavioral response to nociceptive stimuli, it is amenable to study in relatively simple and genetically tractable model systems such as Drosophila. Recent studies have taken advantage of the useful properties of Drosophila larvae to begin elucidating the neuronal connectivity and molecular machinery underlying the nocifensive response. However, these studies have primarily utilized the third-instar larval stage, and many mutations that potentially influence nociception survive o

SUBMITTER: Sulkowski MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4209481 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature