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Electrophysiological Methods for Measuring Photopigment Levels in Drosophila Photoreceptors

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Electroretinogram (ERG) Recordings from Drosophila.

Elisheva Rhodes-Mordov¹, Hadar Samra¹, Baruch Minke¹

¹Departments of Medical Neurobiology, the Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC) and the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC), Faculty of Medicine of the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.

|January 2, 2023

Summary

The Prolonged Depolarizing Afterpotential (PDA) in Drosophila visual systems, a unique electroretinogram (ERG) response, aids in identifying visual defects. This sustained electrical signal, triggered by intense light, can be reset, making it a valuable screening tool.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Molecular Biology
Genetics

Background:

Phototransduction converts light into electrical signals for the nervous system.
Invertebrate phototransduction involves a phosphoinositide cascade with Phospholipase C (PLC) and Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels.
Drosophila melanogaster offers advantages for studying phototransduction due to its genetic tractability.

Purpose of the Study:

To highlight the utility of the Prolonged Depolarizing Afterpotential (PDA) as a screening tool for visual defects in Drosophila.
To explain the underlying mechanism and characteristics of the PDA response.

Main Methods:

Utilizing the Electroretinogram (ERG) to record extracellular voltage from the Drosophila eye in response to light stimuli.
Inducing and observing the PDA phenomenon in white-eyed Drosophila following intense blue light exposure.
Manipulating the PDA response by using intense orange light to convert metarhodopsin back to rhodopsin.

Main Results:

The PDA is a sustained electroretinogram (ERG) response that persists for hours after light offset.
This response results from the failure of light response termination, specifically the photo-conversion of rhodopsin to metarhodopsin.
The PDA can be suppressed by orange light, demonstrating a reversible photopigment state.

Conclusions:

The PDA is a robust and easily recordable phenomenon in Drosophila.
Its unique characteristics and manipulability make it an effective tool for screening visual mutants.
Drosophila's genetic accessibility enhances its role in studying phototransduction mechanisms.