Inhibition of cholinergic pathways in Drosophila melanogaster by α-conotoxins.

ABSTRACT: Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) play a pivotal role in synaptic transmission of neuronal signaling pathways and are fundamentally involved in neuronal disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and schizophrenia. In vertebrates, cholinergic pathways can be selectively inhibited by α-conotoxins; we show that in the model organism Drosophila, the cholinergic component of the giant fiber system is inhibited by α-conotoxins MII, AuIB, BuIA, EI, PeIA, and ImI. The injection of 45 pmol/fly of each toxin dramatically decreases the response of the giant fiber to dorsal longitudinal muscle (GF-DLM) connection to 20 ± 13.9% for MII; 26 ± 13.7% for AuIB, 12 ± 9.9% for BuIA, 30 ± 11.3% for EI, 1 ± 1% for PeIA, and 34 ± 15.4% for ImI. Through bioassay-guided fractionation

SUBMITTER: Heghinian MD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4422358 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature