Walton Jones Change back  almost 9 years ago

Commit id: 89c6ed992c0b7399d0ff84d3df4671646401ae19

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\section*{Abstract}  Mammalian T-type Ca^{2+} Ca\textsuperscript{2+}  channels, which are encoded by three genes (Ca_{v}3.1, (Ca\textsubscript{v}3.1,  3.2, 3.3), mediate the induction of sleep oscillations that promote sleep stability. Invertebrates have only one T-type Ca^{2+} Ca\textsuperscript{2+}  channel gene and its physiological functions are less well-studied. We cloned DmCa_{v}3, DmCa\textsubscript{v}3,  the only fly Ca_{v}3 Ca\textsubscript{v}3  channel gene, and found that it shows broad expression across the brains of \emph{Drosophila melanogaster} adults. Voltage-clamp analysis revealed that the biophysical and pharmacological properties of DmCa_{v}3 DmCa\textsubscript{v}3  are more similar to Ca_{v}3.2 Ca\textsubscript{v}3.2  and Ca_{v}3.3 Ca\textsubscript{v}3.3  than Ca_{v}3.1. Ca\textsubscript{v}3.1.  Flies lacking DmCa_{v}3 DmCa\textsubscript{v}3  show an abnormal increase in sleep duration that is most pronounced during subjective day under continuous dark conditions despite normal oscillation of the circadian clock. Our study suggests that invertebrate T-type Ca^{2+} Ca\textsuperscript{2+}  channels promote wakefulness rather than stabilizing sleep like their vertebrate counterparts.