Gaq And Phospholipase Cß Signaling Regulate Nociceptor Sensitivity In Drosophila melanogaster Larvae

Drosophila melanogaster larvae detect noxious thermal and mechanical stimuli in their environment using polymodal nociceptor neurons whose dendrites tile the larval bodywall. Activation of these nociceptors by potentially tissue-damaging stimuli elicits a stereotyped escape locomotion response. The cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate nociceptor function are increasingly well understood, but gaps remain in our knowledge of the broad mechanisms that control nociceptor sensitivity. In this study, we use cell-specific knockdown and overexpression to show that nociceptor sensitivity to noxious thermal and mechanical stimuli is correlated with levels of Gaq and phospholipase Cß signaling