Circadian and geotactic behaviors: Genetic pleiotropy in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Data presented in this paper test the hypotheses that Hirsch's positive geotaxis (Lo) and negative geotaxis (Hi5) strains of Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) differ in length of the free-running circadian activity period (tau) as well as adult geotaxis. Several genes have been shown to alter geotaxis in Drosophila. Two of these genes, cryptochrome (cry) and Pigment-dispersing-factor (Pdf) are integral to the function of biological clocks. Pdf plays a crucial role in maintaining free-running circadian periods. The cry gene alters blue-light ( < 420 nm) phototransduction which affects biological clocks, spatial orientation and taxis relative to gravity, magnetic fields, solar, lunar, and celestial radiation in several species. The cry gene is involved in phase resetting (entrainment) of the circadian clock by blue light ( < 420 nm). Geotaxis involves spatial orientation, so it might be expected that geotaxis is linked genetically with other forms of spatial orientation. The association between geotaxis and biological clocks is less intuitive. The data and the literature presented here show that genes, physiology and behavioural aspects of geotaxis, biological clocks, magnetosensitivity and other types of spatial orientation, are complex, intriguing and interrelated.