- Elucidating the mechanism of action of an extremely painful venom using Drosophila larvae
- Lydia Borjon
- Biological basis of pain
- using the venom from the velvet ant (wasp without wings)
- one of the most painful venoms
- studying nociception in larvae
- cIV dendritic arbor neurons are polymodal nociceptors
- respond to heat, noxious touch, chemical etc
- imaging calcium in the presence of calcium in larvae
- interested in ppk1/ppk26 and Balboa genes
- only one peptide in the venom activated the larval nociceptors (peptide A)
- there are 5 other peptides identified that are nonspecific and activate mechnosensors in other organisms
- peptide a is insect specific