Amnesiac gene

The amnesiac (amn) gene in Drosophila is a mutant suppressor of the dunce gene. The gene produces a neuropeptide.[1][2][3]

Amnesiac neuropeptides
Identifiers
OrganismDrosophila melanogaster
Symbolamn
UniProtQ24049

Biological role

By suppressing dunce through mutagenesis, the amnesiac gene plays a role in reproduction of Drosophila because dunce is the sterility gene.[3][4] This molecule has similar peptides to pituitary adenylyl cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP) and growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH).[2][3] The biological role of amnesiac gene is activating the adenyl cyclase second messenger pathway (cAMP) involved in its memory retrieval through these two peptides.[1][2][4][5] The sensory and motor capabilities of amnesiac are normal, but it is memory retrieval that is affected, not storage.[6] The amnesiac gene is directly involved in development of memory retrieval in the brain along with alcohol sensitivity patterning.[1][5]

Clinical relevance

Defects associated with amnesiac gene include: increased sensitivity to alcohol,[5] normal initial memory, and failure for adult memory formation.[4] Defects associated with amnesiac are due to the behavior of amn as a sex-linked recessive on the X chromosome.[6] An abnormality on one allele of the genetic mutant, amnesiac, that increases sensitivity to alcohol is called cheapdate.[2][5] Scientists have not generated a knockout model yet for the amnesiac gene due to the mutant effects created on multiple genes along with the need for further research studies about the amnesiac gene.

References
  1. Feany MB, Quinn WG (May 1995). "A Neuropeptide Gene Defined by the Drosophila Memory Mutant amnesiac". Science. 268 (5212): 869–873. doi:10.1126/science.7754370. PMID 7754370.
  2. Brody, T. Amnesiac. (2006).
  3. Brody, T. (June 2015). "Amnesiac – Developmental Biology".
  4. Davis, R. (April 1996). "Physiology and Biochemistry of Drosophlia Learning Mutants". The American Physiological Society. 76 (2): 299–317. PMID 8618959.
  5. Heberlein, U. (2000). "Genetics of Alcohol-Induced Behaviors in Drosophlia" (PDF). Alcohol Research & Health. 24 (3): 185–188. PMID 11199289.
  6. Quinn WG, Sziber PP, Booker R (January 1979). "The Drosophila memory mutant amnesiac". Nature. 277: 212–214. doi:10.1038/277212a0.
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