A GABAergic Maf-expressing interneuron subset regulates the speed of locomotion in Drosophila

This work was funded by grants from INSERM and a 3-year Ph.D. funding from the Association Française contre les Myopathies (AFM) for H.B (Doctoral funding n°19408) and from ANR (17-CE37-0019) for T.J.Interneurons (INs) coordinate motoneuron activity to generate appropriate patterns of muscle contractions, providing animals with the ability to adjust their body posture and to move over a range of speeds. In Drosophila larvae several IN subtypes have been morphologically described and their function well documented. However, the general lack of molecular characterization of those INs prevents the identification of evolutionary counterparts in other animals, limiting our understanding of the principles underlying neuronal circuit organization and function. Here we characterize a restricted subset of neurons in the nerve cord expressing the Maf transcription factor Traffic Jam (TJ). We found that TJ+ neurons are highly diverse and selective activation of these different subtypes disrupts larval body posture and induces specific locomotor behaviors. Finally, we show that a small subset of TJ+ GABAergic INs, singled out by the expression of a unique transcription factors code, controls larval crawling speed.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Bond lengths between aluminium and different complex ions

Using crystal field theory and experimental data for maxima in photoexcitation spectra in anodic alumina formed by dc anodization in different electrolytes, it is shown that the bond length between Al3+ and complex ions (SO42-, PO43-, CrO42-, etc. incorporated into the alumina during the anodizing process, depends on the charge or dipole moment of the ligand and the symmetry of the environment

Optical spectroscopy of nanocrystalline Gd3Ga5O12 doped with Eu3+ and high pressures

This study considers the effects of hydrostatic pressure on the line position and fluorescence lifetime tau for D-5(0) -> F-7(2) transitions in Ga3Ga5O12 doped with Eu3+ nanoparticles. The results indicate that the pressure induced lines red shift towards longer wavelengths for all considered lines with different rate. The fluorescence lifetime tau rapidly decreases with pressure from an ambient pressure up to about 20 kbar and after that it is essentially unchanged up to the end of the considered pressure range. High pressure induced red-shift and fluorescence lifetime T can be explained by a simple model. A satisfactory agreement between measured and theoretical predicted lines position and tau was obtaine

Reply to the comment on “bond lengths between aluminium and different complex ions”

We respond to the comments of Jørgensen in the previous paper

High pressure optical studies of LMA : Mn2+ Nd3+ and LMA : Mn2+

This study considers effects of pressure of up to 110 kbar on line position and fluorescence lifetime T for T-4(1) - GT (6)A(1) transition in LMA:Mn2+ and LMA:Mn2+, Nd3+. Energy transfer between Mn2+ and Nd3+ in LMA:Mn2+, Nd3+ has also been considered. Results indicate pressure induced line shift towards longer wavelengths, a red-shift in both crystals with the same rate of 0.182 nm kbar(-1). Pressure influences fluorescence lifetime T in the considered crystals differently; whereas for LMA:Mn2+ increasing pressure causes slow linear decrease Of T, and for LMA:Mn2+, Nd3+ T increases linearly as pressure raises. Energy transfer efficiencies decrease with pressure. High pressure induced red-shift can be explained by a simple model. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.1st International Conference on Physics of Optical Materials and Devices, Aug 31-Sep 02, 2006, Herceg Novi, Montenegr