Date Available
9-5-2017
Year of Publication
2017
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Document Type
Doctoral Dissertation
College
Arts and Sciences
Department/School/Program
Biology
First Advisor
Dr. Robin Lewis Cooper
Abstract
Ectothermic animals are susceptible to temperature changes such as cold shock with seasons. To survive through a cold shock, ectotherms have developed unique strategies. My interest is focusing on the physiological function of during cold shock and prolonged cold exposure in the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) and crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). I used Drosophila melanogaster as a model system to investigate cardiac function in response to modulators (serotonin, acetylcholine, octopamine, dopamine and a cocktail of modulators) in acute cold shock and chronic cold shock conditions as possible mechanism to regulate heart rate in the cold. To examine if the dampened heart rate in the cold could still be enhanced by modulators or calcium loading, modulators and light-sensitive channelrhodopsin proteins were utilized to stimulate the heart. This light induced cardiac activation increased heart rate in all conditions, and potentially can be used for cardiac therapy in mammals. Also, the acute and chronic cold conditioned heart showed responsiveness to the above mention modulators. In examining how synaptic transmission is influenced by acute and chronic cold, the crayfish neuromuscular junction was used as a model. This is a good model as there are high and low output synapses to be investigated. The low output neuromuscular junction was enhanced in response to acute cold. The high output nmj increased in synaptic response to acute cold. In addressing chronic cold conditions, the nmj were physiologically assayed in their response to acute warm changes as well as influence of serotonin and octopamine. In chronic cold condition, the synaptic output was varied in enhanced and dampened responses to an acute warm environment. These junctions were enhanced in their synaptic output by serotonin and octopamine (100nM). In assessing, by HPLC assay, octopamine concentration increased in chronic cold crayfish. This suggests compensation in synaptic transmission in cold acclimation possibility via endocrine responses.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/ETD.2017.408
Recommended Citation
Zhu, Yuechen, "THE EFFECT OF COLD ON THE PHYSIOLOGY OF DROSOPHILA LARVA HEART AND ON SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION AT CRAYFISH NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTIONS" (2017). Theses and Dissertations--Biology. 50.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/biology_etds/50
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Biology Commons, Cellular and Molecular Physiology Commons, Comparative and Evolutionary Physiology Commons, Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons, Systems and Integrative Physiology Commons
