Clic proteins influence ethanol-related behavior in flies and other species and also mediate TGF-β signaling. These findings suggest that Clics and the TGF-β signaling pathway might work together to modulate behavioral responses to ethanol. I used the Drosophila model to address the hypothesis that TGF-β signaling is important for ethanol sensitivity. Ethanol sensitivity was blunted by multiple transposon insertions in the TGF-β receptor gene thickveins. Collectively, however, I found no consistent correlation between expression of thickveins and altered ethanol sensitivity in flies harboring transposons. I therefore also assessed ethanol sensitivity in flies with loss of function point mutations in thickveins. Ethanol sensitivity was not altered in these additional thickveins genotypes, contrary to my major hypothesis. My analysis of thickveins suggests that TGF-β signaling might influence ethanol sensitivity, but if so there must be a complex relationship between the function of this pathway and sensitivity to alcohol.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:vcu.edu/oai:scholarscompass.vcu.edu:etd-3694 |
| Date | 23 April 2012 |
| Creators | Sennett, Kristyn |
| Publisher | VCU Scholars Compass |
| Source Sets | Virginia Commonwealth University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Theses and Dissertations |
| Rights | © The Author |
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