Rhodopsin-Dependent Models of Drosophila Photoreceptor Degeneration

摘要: Many model systems have been exploited to examine the various mechanisms and molecular defects that can lead retinal degeneration. While humans mice are two major vertebrate organisms for these analyses, invertebrate Drosophila melanogaster provides a compelling alternative system study hereditary The photoreceptor cells dramatically different in both structure organization, their visual transduction second messenger systems, direction of change membrane polarity as result light excitation (1, 2). However, processes degeneration may be conserved between vertebrates invertebrates. This is exemplified by mutations analogous molecules, most notably dominant recessive rhodopsin mutations. ideal genetic analysis due its small size, rapid life cycle ease mutant generation. has provided large number mutants undergo light-dependent, light-enhanced, light-independent (3). These defective expected novel components required cell structure. Because there not an exhaustive search mutants, we expect many details remain identified. Recent results wealth information new ideas about physiology.