Sensory transduction; Cell signaling
Function of the nervous system is being studied using mutants in Drosophila that exhibit paralysis when placed at 38o C. Major effort is being made to study a temperature-sensitive paralytic mutant that carries a mitochondrial defect. This particular mutant exhibits reduced lifespan, motor deficiency, and progressive neurodeneration, all of which are hallmarks of mitochondrial encephalopathies in humans.