Effects of Melatonin on Heartbeat and Possible Identification of a Melatonin Receptor in Drosophila Melanogaster
Year: 2015
Type: article
Abstract: Chapter 1 of this manuscript is a literature review that serves as an introduction to the entire dissertation. Chapter 2 examines the effects of the melatonin injection on heart rate and rhythmicity in Drosophila melanogaster Canton-S (wild-type) pupae and pupae bearing a variety of heart mutations. Chapter 3 investigates further the possible mechanisms of melatonin’s ability to increase heart rhythmicity without significantly affecting heart rate. A melatonin antagonist, luzindole; a high-affinity melatonin agonist, 2-iodomelatonin and RNAi techniques are used to identify a possible melatonin receptor in Drosophila melanogaster. An appendix contains a previously published manuscript detailing experiments performed at the beginning of my graduate studies before I began my work with melatonin. The paper is entitled The Relationship of Heart Function to Temperature in Drosophila melanogaster and its Heritability (Jennings et al., 2009).
Author: Tricia L. VanKirk
Language: English
Subfield: Endocrine and Autonomic Systems
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2530921495