Amnesiac gene

The amnesiac (amn) gene in Drosophila is a mutant suppressor of the dunce gene. The gene produces a neuropeptide.[1][2][3]

Biological role

By suppressing dunce through mutagenesis, the amnesiac gene plays a role in reproduction of Drosophila because dunce is the sterility gene.[3][4] This molecule has similar peptides to pituitary adenylyl cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP) and growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH).[2][3] The biological role of amnesiac gene is activating the adenyl cyclase second messenger pathway (cAMP) involved in its memory retrieval through these two peptides.[1][2][4][5] The sensory and motor capabilities of amnesiac are normal, but it is memory retrieval that is affected, not storage.[6] The amnesiac gene is directly involved in development of memory retrieval in the brain along with alcohol sensitivity patterning.[1][5]

Clinical relevance

Defects associated with amnesiac gene include: increased sensitivity to alcohol,[5] normal initial memory, and failure for adult memory formation.[4] Defects associated with amnesiac are due to the behavior of amn as a sex-linked recessive on the X chromosome.[6] An abnormality on one allele of the genetic mutant, amnesiac, that increases sensitivity to alcohol is called cheapdate.[2][5] Scientists have not generated a knockout model yet for the amnesiac gene due to the mutant effects created on multiple genes along with the need for further research studies about the amnesiac gene.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Feany MB, Quinn WG (May 1995). "A Neuropeptide Gene Defined by the Drosophila Memory Mutant amnesiac". Science. 268 (5212): 869–873. doi:10.1126/science.7754370. PMID 7754370.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Brody, T. Amnesiac. (2006).
  3. 1 2 3 Brody, T. (June 2015). "Amnesiac – Developmental Biology".
  4. 1 2 3 Davis, R. (April 1996). "Physiology and Biochemistry of Drosophlia Learning Mutants". The American Physiological Society. 76 (2): 299–317. PMID 8618959.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Heberlein, U. (2000). "Genetics of Alcohol-Induced Behaviors in Drosophlia" (PDF). Alcohol Research & Health. 24 (3): 185–188. PMID 11199289.
  6. 1 2 Quinn WG, Sziber PP, Booker R (January 1979). "The Drosophila memory mutant amnesiac". Nature. 277: 212–214. doi:10.1038/277212a0.
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