Figure 5
Temporal blockade of visual circuit activity increases aggressiveness of single-housed flies. UAS-Shits were expressed under control of eye-specific driver GMR-GAL4, which blocks synaptic transmission in photoreceptor cells at restrictive temperature (32°C). Flies that only carry GMR-GAL4 or UAS-Shits were used as controls. Vision index (A), locomotor activity (B) and aggression (C) of flies were examined. The performance at restrictive temperature (32°C) was compared to that of same-genotype flies at permissive temperature (22°C). (A) Blockade of photoreceptor synaptic transmission impaired fly vision. **p < 0.01. “ns” indicates p > 0.05. Number of experiments performed at permissive temperature: GMR-GAL4, n = 9; UAS-Shits, n = 10; GMR-GAL4;UAS-Shits, n = 9. Number of experiments performed at restrictive temperature: GMR-GAL4, n = 10; UAS-Shits, n = 8; GMR-GAL4;UAS-Shits, n = 9. (B) Travel distance of flies within 10-min period was measured. *p < 0.05. Pairs of flies tested at permissive temperature: GMR-GAL4, n = 20; UAS-Shits, n = 20; GMR-GAL4;UAS-Shits, n = 20. Pairs of flies tested at restrictive temperature: GMR-GAL4, n = 20; UAS-Shits, n = 21; GMR-GAL4;UAS-Shits, n = 19. (C) Aggressiveness of single-housed flies in which photoreceptor synaptic transmission was temporally blocked at restrictive temperature was compared to that of flies at permissive temperature. *p < 0.05. Pairs of flies tested at permissive temperature: GMR-GAL4, n = 20; UAS-Shits, n = 20; GMR-GAL4;UAS-Shits, n = 20. Pairs of flies tested at restrictive temperature: GMR-GAL4, n = 20; UAS-Shits, n = 21; GMR-GAL4;UAS-Shits, n = 19. Error bars represent SEM.