A Genome-Wide Survey of Drosophila Mushroom Body Transcripts with Chemical Ablation

Mushroom bodies (MBs) are the centers for olfactory associative learning and elementary cognitive functions in the Drosophila brain. To get insights of the repertoire of MB genes that control initiation and maintenance of neural differentiation as well as the repertoire of neural factors that may have functions in the synaptic plasticity of MB neurons during learning and memory, we compared the transcript profiles between wild type and MB-ablated brains using a Drosophila whole-genome microarray. Newly hatched larvae were briefly administered with a DNA-synthesis inhibitor, hydroxyurea, and raised to adults, from which total brain RNA was analyzed. Keywords: Chemical Ablation of Mushroom bodies from Drosophila brain Two conditions analyzed: Control Brains and Musroom Body-ablated brains. Each condition was analyzed in triplicate.