Date of Award

5-1-1996

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Biology

First Advisor

Dr. Bruce Chase

Abstract

Octopamine is a biogenic amine. It plays an important role as neurohormone neuromodulator and neurotransmitter in Drosophila melanogaster. These physiological functions of octopamine are essential in feeding, mating and fight-or-flight behavior. Octopamine receptors are structurally and fundamentally similar to the vertebrate adrenergic receptors. A Drosophila gene encoding an octopamine/tyramine receptor was previously identified by probing a Drosophila genomic library with a human brain β2 adrenergic receptor cDNA clone. After identifying a 367-bp fragment of a Drosophila genomic DNA, a cDNA library prepared from head mRNA was screened and a 3.3 kb cDNA, containing the inferred protein coding region of the cDNA, was subcloned and after screening a Drosophila genomic library, eight genomic clones were isolated. In order to begin to understand how the gene for this clones octopamine receptor is transcriptionally controlled, it is necessary to define its genomic structure and its transcription initiation site. To do this, I have characterized previously isolated genomic clones and generated a restriction map for this genomic region by method of restriction mapping and Southern blotting, and have used primer extension analysis. This research work also sets the stage for comparing the cDNA restriction map and genomic restriction maps of this gene to assess whether introns are present in its primary transcript.

Comments

A Thesis Presented to the Department of Biology and the Faculty of the Graduate College University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts University of Nebraska at Omaha. Copyright 1996 Pramodini Purushottam Rode.

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