A temperature-sensitive paralytic mutant defines a primary synaptic calcium channel in Drosophila

作者：Kawasaki F; Felling R; Ordway RW^*

来源：Journal of Neuroscience, 2000, 20(13): 4885-4889.

DOI：10.1523/jneurosci.20-13-04885.2000

• calcium channel
• neurotransmitter release
• synaptic transmission
• cacophony
• Drosophila
• temperature-sensitive

Neurotransmission at chemical synapses involves regulated exocytosis of neurotransmitter from the presynaptic terminal. Neurotransmitter release is thought to be triggered by calcium influx through specific classes of voltage-gated calcium channels. Here we report genetic and functional analysis implicating a specific calcium channel gene product in neurotransmitter release. We have isolated a temperature-sensitive paralytic allele of the Drosophila calcium channel alpha 1 subunit gene, cacophony (cac). This mutant, referred to as cac(TS2), allows functional analysis of synaptic transmission after acute perturbation of a specific alpha 1 subunit. Electrophysiological analysis at neuromuscular synapses revealed that neurotransmitter release in cas(TS2) is markedly reduced at elevated temperatures, indicating that cac encodes a primary alpha 1 subunit functioning in synaptic transmission. These observations further define the molecular basis of voltage-gated calcium entry at synapses and provide a new starting point for further genetic analysis of synaptic mechanisms.

• 出版日期2000-7-1