Date of Award

1-1-2011

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College/School/Department

Department of Biomedical Sciences

Content Description

1 online resource (vii, 149 pages) : PDF file, illustrations (some color)

Dissertation/Thesis Chair

Gregory A Lnenicka

Committee Members

Haijun Chen, Li Niu, Ben G Szaro

Keywords

Calcium imaging, Calcium regulation, Drosophila, Neuromuscular junction, Transmitter release, Neural transmission, Calcium channels, Calcium, Cellular control mechanisms, Myoneural junction

Subject Categories

Neuroscience and Neurobiology

Abstract

Calcium ions act as the most versatile 2nd messenger and are involved in an incredibly broad spectrum of biological processes. Proper cellular Ca2+ homeostasis is paramount in maintaining normal cell growth, functions, survival and programmed death. Hence, understanding Ca2+ regulation has been a goal of and a hot topic in cutting-edge biological research for decades. Recently, the advent of a new generation of Ca2+ indicators has made a major contribution to advances in understanding Ca2+ regulation (Grynkiewicz et al., 1985). Likewise, the application of Drosophila melanogaster as an animal model has provided tantalizing clues and fueled the progress of research towards this goal.

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