Berlin 2018 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 17: Cell Mechanics I
BP 17.3: Vortrag
Mittwoch, 14. März 2018, 10:00–10:15, H 1058
Functional analysis of larval chordotonal organ mechanics in Drosophila — •Chonglin Guan1, Martin Göpfert2, and Christoph F. Schmidt1 — 1Drittes Physikalisches Institut - Biophysik, Fakultät für Physik, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen — 2Abteilung Zelluläre Neurobiologie, Schwann - Schleiden-Forschungszentrum, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
In Drosophila larvae and adults, chordotonal organs (ChOs) are ubiquitous mechanoreceptors, converting a diverse range of physical forces such as sound, vibration and stretch into biological responses. The mechanoelectrical transduction, operated by an active, force-generating process, has been linked to adaptation motors. The underlying force generator, however, is poorly known, and the functional dissection of ChO mechanics in vivo has been challenging. We combine electrophysiological analyses with mechanical stimulation, and correlate mechanical properties and active manipulation with neuronal activity. We find that myosin II motors power contraction of the cap cells of ChO and regulate mechanosensation. Our in vivo model reveals larval ChOs as complex, but accessible organs to study the molecular machinery involved in the regulation and encoding of mechanical forces by primary mechanoreceptor neurons.