Dosage effects of a Drosophila sodium channel gene on behavior and axonal excitability

Abstract

The effects of para mutations on behavior and axonal excitability in Drosophila suggested that para specifically affects sodium channels. This hypothesis was confirmed by molecular analysis of the para locus, which demonstrates that the encoded para product is a sodium channel polypeptide. Here we characterize the effects of altered para+ dosage on behavior and axonal excitability, both in an otherwise wild-type background and in combination with two other mutations: nap(ts), which also affects sodium channels, and Sh(KS133), which specifically affects potassium channels. Whereas it was previously shown that decreased dosage of para+ is unconditionally lethal in a nap(ts) background, we find that increased dosage of para+ suppresses nap(ts). Similarly, we find that para hypomorphs or decreased dosage of para+ suppresses Sh(KS133), whereas increased dosage of para+ enhances Sh(KS133). The electrophysiological basis for these effects is investigated. Other genes in Drosophila that have sequence homology to sodium channels do not show such dosage effects, which suggests that the para+ product has a function distinct from that of other putative Drosophila sodium channel genes. We conclude that the number of sodium channels present in at least some Drosophila neurons can be affected by changes in para+ gene dosage, and that the level of para+ expression can strongly influence neuronal excitability.