Genderblind

Genderblind, also known as CG6070, is a gene that was discovered in Drosophila melanogaster by University of Illinois at Chicago researcher David Featherstone.[1] The gene encodes a member of the cystine/glutamate transporter family of proteins.

For other uses, see Gender-blind.
Genderblind
Identifiers
OrganismDrosophila melanogaster
Symbolgb
UniProtQ9VB75
Search for
StructuresSwiss-model
DomainsInterPro

Genderblind protein is expressed in glial cells where it secretes the neurotransmitter glutamate and regulates the organization of glutamate receptors.[2]

A mutation in Genderblind alters the sexual behavior of Drosophila, turning the flies bisexual.[1] Drosophila given drugs to alter synapse strength, independent of the Genderblind mutation, allowed researchers to "turn fly homosexuality on and off, within hours".[1] The researchers believe this effect is due to the flies' altered response to pheromones.

References
  1. "Homosexuality Turned On and Off in Fruit Flies", LiveScience, 9 December 2007, accessed 10 December 2007
  2. Augustin H, Grosjean Y, Chen K, Sheng Q, Featherstone DE (2007). "Nonvesicular release of glutamate by glial xCT transporters suppresses glutamate receptor clustering in vivo". J. Neurosci. 27 (1): 111–23. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4770-06.2007. PMC 2193629. PMID 17202478.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.