Walton D. Jones edited discussion.tex  over 8 years ago

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Ueno et al. recently reported that dopaminergic neurons capable of modulating sleep project to the fan-shaped body\cite{ueno:2012aa}, which we report also expresses DmCa\textsubscript{v}3 (Fig. \ref{fig:2}e).  It is, therefore, possible that DmCa\textsubscript{v}3 functions in these circuits that seem to parse the wake-promoting light of the morning from the sleep-promoting light of the rest of the day and from darkness.  Interestingly, \emph{DmCa\textsubscript{v}3\textsuperscript{Gal4}} flies exhibit a sharpening of the sleep ``peak'' during the day and an elevated but plateaued peak during subjective night while sleep during the dark phases is fairly similar to controls.  Imaging experiments on DmCa\textsubscript{v}3-null flies similar to those performed by Shang et al. will likely hopefully  help clarify the role, if any, that DmCa\textsubscript{v}3 plays in modulation of sleep by DA, light, and PDF. In addition to their sleep phenotype, DmCa\textsubscript{v}3-null mutants also have a circadian phenotype: an elongated circadian period and a reduction in rhythmic power.  It is difficult to say, however, whether these altered circadian parameters are independent of or secondary to the sleep phenotype.