A 3965 base pair fragment from the flanking non-coding or intronic region of nAcRalpha-30D is fused upstream of a Drosophila core synthetic promoter (DSCP) that is followed by sequence encoding a GAL4 driver.
ScerGAL4GMR21D02 drives expression in VGlut1 positive mushroom body output neuron 2, mushroom body medial lobe arborizing neuron 4 and mushroom body medial lobe arborizing neuron 6.
ScerGAL4GMR21D02 drives expression in mushroom body extrinsic neurons that innervate mushroom body gamma lobe slice 3, mushroom body beta lobe slice 2 and mushroom body beta' lobe slice 2.
Blocking synaptic transmission (using shi1.Scer\UAS at 32[o]C) from Scer\GAL4GMR21D02, Scer\GAL4VT001211, or Scer\GAL4GMR66C08 neurons significantly impairs memory performance compared to controls. With sucrose-reinforced appetitive conditioning or electric shock-reinforced aversive conditioning, immediate memory at 3 minutes post-conditioning is impaired (both training and testing at a restrictive 32[o]C temperature). Appetitive conditioning memory at 24 hours is also impaired (training at a permissive temperature of 23[o]C, testing at the restrictive temperature).
Blocking synaptic transmission (using shi1.Scer\UAS at 32[o]C) from Scer\GAL4GMR21D02 or Scer\GAL4VT001211 neurons significantly abolishes or reverses (depending on the odorant and concentration used) naive odor avoidance behavior, compared to controls.
Optogenetic activation (using Crei\ChR1[ReaChR.Scer\UAS. T:Crei \ChR2, T:Avic \GFP-mCitrine] with red light activation) of Scer\GAL4GMR21D02 neurons results in significant avoidance of the red-light illuminated arm in a T-maze.
Inhibition (using Hsap\KCNJ2UAS.EGFP) of Scer\GAL4GMR21D02 neurons, in combination with a Gal80[ts] transgene to restrict expression to 1 day prior to training and testing, does not affect 3 hour aversive olfactory memory, compared to controls.