Pattern of distribution and cycling of SLOB, Slowpoke channel binding protein, in <it>Drosophila</it>

• Main Authors: Sheldon Amanda, Amado Defne A, Zhou Yi, Zheng Xiangzhong, Jaramillo Angela M, Sehgal Amita, Levitan Irwin B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2004-01-01
• Series: BMC Neuroscience
• Online Access: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2202/5/3

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>SLOB binds to and modulates the activity of the <it>Drosophila </it>Slowpoke (dSlo) calcium activated potassium channel. Recent microarray analyses demonstrated circadian cycling of <it>slob </it>mRNA.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We report the mRNA and protein expression pattern of <it>slob </it>in <it>Drosophila </it>heads. <it>slob </it>transcript is present in the photoreceptors, optic lobe, pars intercerebralis (PI) neurons and surrounding brain cortex. SLOB protein exhibits a similar distribution pattern, and we show that it cycles in <it>Drosophila </it>heads, in photoreceptor cells and in neurosecretory cells of the PI. The cycling of SLOB is altered in various clock gene mutants, and SLOB is expressed in ectopic locations in <it>tim</it>^{<it>01 </it>}flies. We also demonstrate that SLOB no longer cycles in the PI neurons of <it>Clk</it>^{<it>jrk </it>}flies, and that SLOB expression is reduced in the PI neurons of flies that lack pigment dispersing factor (PDF), a neuropeptide secreted by clock cells.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These data are consistent with the idea that SLOB may participate in one or more circadian pathways in <it>Drosophila</it>.</p>