Re-evaluation of the functional roles of painless and dTRPA1 in chemical nociception in Drosophila...

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Re-evaluation of the functional roles of painless and dTRPA1 in chemical nociception in Drosophila Pamela A. Fazio, Samantha J. Mandel, Madison L. Shoaf, Jason T. Braco, Wayne L. Silver, and Erik C. Johnson Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem NC USA Figure 4. A. Heterologous expression of painless did not result in AITC-evoked responses (Sokabe et al., 2008). B. However, heterologous expression of dTRPA1 did confer AITC- sensitivity (Kang et al., 2010). Therefore, the role of painless in the behavioral aversion to AITC is not clear. painless AITC A No Response HEK 293 Cell AITC dTRPA1 B Response Xenopus oocyte Figure 5. Cells in the adult ventral nerve cord (A) containing the GCaMP transgene were used to observe changes in calcium levels in painless- and dTRPA1-expressing neurons in response to AITC. Both (B) dTRPA1 and (C) painless-expressing neurons in the ventral nerve cord exhibited significant increases in fluorescence in response to AITC as compared to the control. pain-GAL4; UAS-GCaMP C trpA-GAL4; UAS-GCaMP B pain-GAL4/UAS-GCaMP; dTRPA1 A Figure 2. PER data of varying sucrose concentrations with 2mM AITC. Results demonstrate a significant difference in aversion for W1118 but not for dTrpA1 or painless. A 5. Conclusion • Behavioral assays demonstrate that aversion to AITC is a complex behavior requiring both functional dTRPA1 and painless channels • The CAFE assay is a more quantitative measure of aversive behavior than PER • Calcium influx measurements show that both dTRPA1 and painless channels respond independently to AITC • Our current model for AITC aversion is that painless and dTRPA1 are additive; on their own neither are sufficient • Future directions include analyzing the circuitry and anatomical dissections. Behavioral Aversion painless AIT C AIT C dTRPA1 Acknowledgements: We would like to thank Wake Forest University for funding, Dan Tracey, Paul Garrity, and The Bloomington Stock Center for fly lines. Figure 3. CAFE results of 2 mM AITC in varying sucrose concentrations demonstrating that painless and dtrpA1 are not sufficient on its own and are affected by sucrose. 1% Sucrose 2% Sucrose 5% Sucrose 10 % Sucrose Difference in Amount Consumed (uL) What’s in the Literature: Figure 1. A. Painless is required for the aversive behaviors to AITC (Al-Anzi et al., 2006). B. In contrast, it was later reported that dTRPA1, not painless, is required for the behavioral avoidance to AITC (Kang et al., 2010). A Painles s dtrpA1 B 1. Background The detection of harmful chemical irritants is important for the avoidance of potential life threatening compounds. In vertebrates, the trigeminal nerve is an important anatomical site of chemical nociception, and the nerve directly responds to a variety of chemical compounds. A molecular target for many of these trigeminal stimulants is the TRPA1 channel. Drosophila possess multiple mammalian TRPA1 homologs, two of which are encoded by the painless and dTRPA1 genes. Both of these channels have been reported to be required for the detection and subsequent behavioral avoidance of noxious chemicals, such as allyl isothiocyanate (AITC); however, data have been conflicting. 2. Behavioral Assays 3a. Ca 2+ influx measurements from ventral nerve cord neurons B Figure 6. Ectopically expressed (A) dTRPA1 and (B) painless in neuroendocrine AKH cells displayed activation in response to AITC, indicating each channel’s ability to act as a direct receptor. A 4. Ca 2+ influx measurements from neuroendocrine AKH cells Figure 6. Painless- expressing neurons exhibited activation in a dtrpA1 null background seen through the increase in fluorescence using the GCaMP. 3b. Ca 2+ influx measurements continued

Transcript of Re-evaluation of the functional roles of painless and dTRPA1 in chemical nociception in Drosophila...

Page 1: Re-evaluation of the functional roles of painless and dTRPA1 in chemical nociception in Drosophila Pamela A. Fazio, Samantha J. Mandel, Madison L. Shoaf,

Re-evaluation of the functional roles of painless and dTRPA1 in chemical nociception in DrosophilaPamela A. Fazio, Samantha J. Mandel, Madison L. Shoaf, Jason T. Braco, Wayne L. Silver, and Erik C. Johnson

Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem NC USA

Figure 4. A. Heterologous expression of painless did not result in AITC-evoked responses (Sokabe et al., 2008). B. However, heterologous expression of dTRPA1 did confer AITC-sensitivity (Kang et al., 2010). Therefore, the role of painless in the behavioral aversion to AITC is not clear.

painlessAITCA

No Response

HEK 293 Cell

AITC

dTRPA1B

Response

Xenopus oocyte

Figure 5. Cells in the adult ventral nerve cord (A) containing the GCaMP transgene were used to observe changes in calcium levels in painless- and dTRPA1-expressing neurons in response to AITC. Both (B) dTRPA1 and (C) painless-expressing neurons in the ventral nerve cord exhibited significant increases in fluorescence in response to AITC as compared to the control.

pain-GAL4; UAS-GCaMPC

trpA-GAL4; UAS-GCaMPB

pain-GAL4/UAS-GCaMP; dTRPA1A

Figure 2. PER data of varying sucrose concentrations with 2mM AITC. Results demonstrate a significant difference in aversion for W1118 but not for dTrpA1 or painless.

A

5. Conclusion

• Behavioral assays demonstrate that aversion to AITC is a complex behavior requiring both functional dTRPA1 and painless channels

• The CAFE assay is a more quantitative measure of aversive behavior than PER

• Calcium influx measurements show that both dTRPA1 and painless channels respond independently to AITC

• Our current model for AITC aversion is that painless and dTRPA1 are additive; on their own neither are sufficient

• Future directions include analyzing the circuitry and anatomical dissections.

Behavioral Aversion

painlessAITC AITC

dTRPA1

Acknowledgements: We would like to thank Wake Forest University for funding, Dan Tracey, Paul Garrity, and The Bloomington Stock Center for fly lines.

Figure 3. CAFE results of 2 mM AITC in varying sucrose concentrations demonstrating that painless and dtrpA1 are not sufficient on its own and are affected by sucrose.

1% Sucro

se

2% Sucro

se

5% Sucro

se

10% Sucro

se

Diff

eren

ce in

Am

ount

Con

sum

ed (u

L)

What’s in the Literature:

Figure 1. A. Painless is required for the aversive behaviors to AITC (Al-Anzi et al., 2006). B. In contrast, it was later reported that dTRPA1, not painless, is required for the behavioral avoidance to AITC (Kang et al., 2010).

A

Painless

dtrpA1

B

1. BackgroundThe detection of harmful chemical irritants is important for the avoidance of potential life threatening compounds. In vertebrates, the trigeminal nerve is an important anatomical site of chemical nociception, and the nerve directly responds to a variety of chemical compounds. A molecular target for many of these trigeminal stimulants is the TRPA1 channel. Drosophila possess multiple mammalian TRPA1 homologs, two of which are encoded by the painless and dTRPA1 genes. Both of these channels have been reported to be required for the detection and subsequent behavioral avoidance of noxious chemicals, such as allyl isothiocyanate (AITC); however, data have been conflicting.

2. Behavioral Assays

3a. Ca2+ influx measurements from ventral nerve cord neurons

B

Figure 6. Ectopically expressed (A) dTRPA1 and (B) painless in neuroendocrine AKH cells displayed activation in response to AITC, indicating each channel’s ability to act as a direct receptor.

A

4. Ca2+ influx measurements from neuroendocrine AKH cells

Figure 6. Painless-expressing neurons exhibited activation in a dtrpA1 null background seen through the increase in fluorescence using the GCaMP.

3b. Ca2+ influx measurements continued