Regulation of Calcium Influx in Drosophila Motorneuron Axon Degeneration

.....................................3 Introduction...............................4 Materials and Methods...........17 Results........................................21 Development of the Ex vivo Assay.............................................................................................................21 Wallerian Degeneration Proceeds Normally in the Ex vivo Assay..............................................24 Calcium is Necessary for Wallerian Degeneration in Drosophila...............................................26 Calcium is Important during the Latent and Granular Phases of Wallerian Degeneration.....28 Intracellular Calcium Levels Change after Nerve Injury................................................................29 Sodium and Potassium Currents Impact Wallerian Degeneration.............................................31 Action Potentials Are Not a Signal of Axonal Degeneration........................................................33 Channel Mutations Alter Intracellular Calcium Levels after Nerve Injury.................................35 Calcium Channel Blocking Drug PLTXII Delays Degeneration......................................................36 PLTXII Blocks Channel Regulated by Sodium and Potassium Currents......................................38 Wld Changes Intracellular Calcium Influx after Injury.................................................................40 Discussion and Conclusion......41 Acknowledgements..................48 References..................................49