Action-contingent photoactivation of Rnor\P2rx2 in flies expressing Rnor\P2rx2^Scer\UAS.cLa under the control of Scer\GAL4^ple.PF produces conditioned odour avoidance. No conditioned odour avoidance is produced when the Scer\GAL4^Ddc.HL9 driver is used instead of Scer\GAL4^ple.PF.

Males in which all the fru-expressing neurons have been photoactivated (the flies express Rnor\P2rx2^Scer\UAS.cLa under the control of Scer\GAL4^fru-GAL4 and the Rnor\P2rx2 product is activated by release of DMNPE-caged ATP which is photolyzed by 100ms pulses of ultraviolet light) do show courtship behaviours, such as abdominal thrusting and unilateral wing vibrations, but only in a small fraction of 1.7% of all trials. However, if the ventral ganglion is isolated by physically severing the neck connectives, headless male torsos expressing Rnor\P2rx2^Scer\UAS.cLa under the control of Scer\GAL4^fru-GAL4 sing readily and reliably when exposed to light; 46% of these animals show a song response. If the animals also carry Scer\GAL80^tsh-GAL80 (which represses Scer\GAL4^fru-GAL4 in the trunk but not in the descending neurons) then there is no song activity in response to photoactivation. The light-activated courtship songs of headless male torsos expressing Rnor\P2rx2^Scer\UAS.cLa under the control of Scer\GAL4^fru-GAL4 are superficially indistinguishable from those of normal courting flies; one wing extends from the body at approximately a right angle and vibrates, and like in intact flies, the song is asymmetrical, with one wing or the other being relied on during repeated stimulation. The songs of these headless males have acoustic features of native courtship song, in particular, the presence of sine and pulse episodes. However, the pulse song of the headless males often lacks the metronomic precision and high-pulse repetition rates of courting flies. Recordings of these courtship songs substitute fully for the songs of courting males in an assay where the song is played back to fly pairs consisting of a wingless male (which cannot produce a courtship song) and a virgin female).

Photoactivation of fru-expressing neurons in headless females expressing Rnor\P2rx2^Scer\UAS.cLa under the control of Scer\GAL4^fru-GAL4 is able to elicit unilateral wing vibrations, but 4-fold higher photon does are needed on average to elicit a female "song" compared to headless males of the same genotype. Songs produced by these headless females are less cleanly structured than those of headless males, often lacking a stereotyped pulse waveform, sufficient dampening to limit pulses to three vibration cycles and stable sine frequencies below the approximately 220Hz flight oscillation. Spontaneous transitions to bilateral wing movements and high-intensity buzzing are common in the headless females. Recordings of these courtship songs do not substitute for the songs of courting males in an assay where the song is played back to fly pairs consisting of a wingless male (which cannot produce a courtship song) and a virgin female).

Development, behavior and viability of Rnor\P2rx2^Scer\UAS.cLa; Scer\GAL4^nrv2.PS animals appears normal. Rnor\P2rx2^Scer\UAS.cLa; Scer\GAL4^elav-C155 adults have subtle co-ordination defects. Rnor\P2rx2^Scer\UAS.cLa; Scer\GAL4^Cha.7.4 adults die young (mean survival time after eclosion = 2.58 +/- 1.34 days, n = 329).

Perfusion of ATP (μM 100) induces full scale excitatory junction potentials (EJPs) in abdominal muscles 6 or 7 of Rnor\P2rx2^Scer\UAS.cLa; Scer\GAL4^Cha.7.4 wandering third instar larvae. These ATP induced EJPs are blocked by 200 nM tetrodotoxin, suggesting that they are action potential driven. In the absence of exogenous ATP these muscles show an increase in the frequency and amplitude of miniature EJPs compared to wild-type, but full scale EJPs are limited to occasional spontaneous bursts of activity. This response to ATP is not seen in the absence of Rnor\P2rx2^Scer\UAS.cLa.

Rnor\P2rx2^Scer\UAS.cLa; Scer\GAL4^{shakB.lethal.4.1} adults which have had 40-70 mM DMNPE-ATP(*) microinjected into their CNS exhibit typical giant fibre mediated escape movements (leg extension, jumping, wing opening, and high-frequency wing flapping) following 82% of brief exposures to UV laser light (8 mWmm^-2 for 150-250 ms). (* DMNPE-ATP is an ATP derivative from which free ATP can be release by exposure to 355 nm laser light.) This effect is not seen in Rnor\P2rx2^Scer\UAS.cLa; Scer\GAL4^c370 or Rnor\P2rx2^Scer\UAS.cLa; Scer\GAL4^c217 flies.

Rnor\P2rx2^Scer\UAS.cLa; Scer\GAL4^c17 adults which have had 40-70 mM DMNPE-ATP(*) microinjected into their CNS exhibit typical giant fibre mediated escape movements (leg extension, jumping, wing opening, and high-frequency wing flapping) following 63% of brief exposures to UV laser light (8 mWmm^-2 for 150-250 ms). (* DMNPE-ATP is an ATP derivative from which free ATP can be release by exposure to 355 nm laser light.)

Rnor\P2rx2^Scer\UAS.cLa; Scer\GAL4^Cha.7.4 adults which have had 40-70 mM DMNPE-ATP(*) microinjected into their CNS undergo convulsions and paralysis on exposure to UV laser light. (* DMNPE-ATP is an ATP derivative from which free ATP can be release by exposure to 355 nm laser light.)

Rnor\P2rx2^Scer\UAS.cLa; Scer\GAL4^ple.PF flies whose nervous system has been micro-injected with 40-70 mM DMNPE-ATP(*) undergo marked and characteristic changes in behavior when exposed to UV laser-light. No such responses of locomotor activity to light stimulation is seen in controls. In the majority of such flies there is an instant increase in motor activity lasting approximately 30-120 seconds: the frequency and duration of pausing is reduced but average speed during periods of activity is unchanged. In addition, the types of routes the flies elect to follow changes after stimulation: frequently crisscrossing the center of the field rather than preferring to stay close to the perimeter as prior to stimulation. Occasionally, stimulated flies move in tightly wound circles. A minority of flies (32%) exhibit high motor activity prior to stimulation. For these flies, photo-stimulation leads to a transient arrest of locomotor activity. (* DMNPE-ATP is an ATP derivative from which free ATP can be release by exposure to 355 nm laser light.)

Rnor\P2rx2^UAS.cLa, Scer\GAL4^{shakB.lethal.4.1} has abnormal locomotor behavior | adult stage | drug conditional phenotype, non-suppressible by norpA^EE5/norpA^EE5

Rnor\P2rx2^UAS.cLa, Scer\GAL4^c17 has abnormal locomotor behavior | adult stage | drug conditional phenotype, non-suppressible by norpA^EE5/norpA^EE5