Date of Award
2012
Degree Name
Biology
College
College of Science
Type of Degree
M.S.
Document Type
Thesis
First Advisor
Simon Collier
Second Advisor
Sasha Zill
Third Advisor
Victor Fet
Abstract
Hovering flight is the primary form of locomotion in the numerous and diverse forms of winged insects. A specialized elastic protein, Resilin, contributes to flight mechanics in most described insect orders. Although many studies have inferred functions of Resilin in insect flight, we report the first direct evidence that Resilin is a necessary component in flight mechanics of the fruit fly. We have successfully knocked down Resilin synthesis with RNAi and have generated a new resilin deletion mutant Df(2R)anhedral. By disturbing the formation of the Resilin rich tergopleural tendon, we have shown that Resilin functions in wing control. We also use RNAi based techniques to show that the Bursicon hormonal pathway which governs final stages of metamorphosis in flies does not play a necessary role in Resilin maturation. Bursicon may, via one of its subunits (Burs), play a previously unknown role in eclosion behaviour of D. melanogaster.
Subject(s)
Resilin.
Animal flight.
Fruit-flies - Flight.
Recommended Citation
Neff, David Paul Anthony, "Bursicon, Metamorphosis and Development of Resilin in the Fruit Fly" (2012). Theses, Dissertations and Capstones. 256.
https://mds.marshall.edu/etd/256
