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Abstract
| Adenosine is a prevalent neurotransmitter that not only modulates brain activity, but also can have regulation effects throughout the body, such as modulation of locomotion within the mammalian spinal cord via different adenosine receptors, A1, A2A, A2B, A3. However, this modulation mechanism can be modified by adenosine receptor antagonists. The most consumed adenosine antagonist is caffeine. Caffeine is readily available to adults and children in drinks, such as coffee, tea, energy drinks, and soda. At the molecular level, caffeine binds to the adenosine receptors AdoR A1 and AdoA2A and prevents the activation of the subsequent pathways leading to a decrease in phosphorylation of target genes and proteins. Given a study conducted from 1999-2010 found that 73% of children in the United States drink caffeinated beverages, the implications of adenosine receptor antagonists on the development of neuron circuits is unclear. One study found caffeine has different stimulatory effects in adolescent rats versus adult rats. This contrast in locomotor responses points towards different circuitry and could have developmental impacts in adolescence. Therefore, this project seeks to understand the implication behind the effects of caffeine at the adenosine receptors by recording the changes in muscle fiber locomotor synapses in Drosophila melanogaster larvae. The Drosophila only has one adenosine receptor (DmAdoR) and it is homolog to mammalian A2A adenosine receptor. Thus, the Drosophila model system provides an excellent model to provide a fundamental understanding about the system. Similar to the previous studies in mice and rats, caffeine was also found to increase locomotor burst frequency as well as the amplitude of the burst in Drosophila adult flies. Given these findings, I expect the synapses in the larvae to excite at a high frequency under chronic exposure to high concentration of caffeine than those larvae not exposed to caffeine. |
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