Authors
Jörg T. Albert, Björn Nadrowski, Azusa Kamikouchi, and Martin C. Gopfert
Summary
The mechanical senses of Drosophila have proved powerful systems to identify proteins involved in the sensation of touch and sound [1-4]. How these proteins contribute to the processes of mechanosensation and hearing, however, largely remains unclear [3-5]. Here we describe a non-invasive method to trace the function of mechanosensory proteins in the fly’s antennal ear. The method relies on the examination of the ear’s mechanics, which is actively modulated by the motility of auditory neurons and reflects the function of mechanosensory proteins these cells comprise [5-7]. Mechanical signatures arising from the motility of the neurons are assayed by measuring the vibrations of the antennal sound receiver in the presence and absence of sound. If combined with genetic manipulations, such measurements can provide insights into the functional roles of specific gene products in hearing [5]. We describe how acoustic stimuli and mechanical responses can be monitored, and how information about protein function can be extracted from such data. We note that the approach is versatile in that it can be applied to other mechanosensory systems as well.Further details
The protocol was published on Protocol Exchange in 2006. To see the entire protocol, click on the source link.Advertisement
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