Comment: expression starts 32 hr APF
Drives expression in sensory neurons. Also drives expression in small field neurons associated with the ellipsoid body, protocerebral bridge, and nodulus.
ScerGAL4smid-C161 drives expression in larval multidendritic neurons ldaB, ddaC and ddaE.
Third instar expression is observed in vbd- and dbd-neurons, one lateral chordotonal organ, multidendritic neurons, and most likely to the vpda-neurons. See diagram in Fig 3C of FBrf0160715.
Adult expression is observed in small field neurons that connect the ellipsoid body with the nodulus and the protocerebral bridge.
Reporter gene expression was examined in early to mid larval stages. Expression is observed in sensory neurons and neuroblasts in the cephalic and thoracic neuromeres of the CNS and in imaginal discs. No expression was observed in embryos.
Expression of ScerGAL4smid-C161 is found in internal sensory neurons associates with the trochanter/femur articulation, an internal receptor associated with the tibial/tarsal joint and internal receptors associated with each of the tarsal segment. Expression of ScerGAL4smid-C161 is also seen in neurons at the articulations of the more distal tibial and tarsal segments of the leg, which are thought to be stretch receptors. Expression of ScerGAL4smid-C161 in the hair plates of the trochanter and the coxa is restricted to a small group of cell bodies at the base of the external sensilla that extend neurites into the sockets of the sensilla. Expression of ScerGAL4smid-C161 is seen in approximately five sensilla of a cluster of eleven campaniform sensilla (believed to be the FeCS11) located on the ventral surface of the proximal femur. On the haltere, expression of ScerGAL4smid-C161 is detected in two large groups of cells associated with a cluster of sensilla on the scabellum and pediculus. Furthermore, expression is detected in two clusters of scolopale cells in the scabellum. Abdominal expression of ScerGAL4smid-C161 is seen, in each segment, in bilaterally symmetrical sensory structures: a pair of small neurons on either side of the midline that extend along the lateral muscles; a single neuron attached to one of the dorsal muscles; a midbody positioned neuron that extends processes both ventrally to the CNS and dorsally to arborise on the dorsal alar muscle. CNS expression is seen in the nerves originating from the leg and the haltere, nerves from the abdominal segments, and axons from the prothoracic stretch receptor which enter the CNS within the leg nerve.
Inhibition of neural activity in Scer\GAL4smid-C161-expressing neurons (in which expression is suppressed in the ventral nerve cord using Scer\GAL80tsh-GAL80) does not affect sensitivity to (S,Z,Z)-CH503 (a more potent stereoisomer of the gustatory sex pheromone CH503). As in wild type flies, courtship defects are seen in response to (S,Z,Z)-CH503.