Life Sciences & Biotechnology
Title : | Developmental and transgenerational effects of nicotine exposure in Drosophila at molecular, cellular and behavioral levels |
Area of research : | Life Sciences & Biotechnology |
Principal Investigator : | Dr. Pavan Kumar Agrawal, Manipal Academy Of Higher Education, Karnataka |
Timeline Start Year : | 2023 |
Timeline End Year : | 2026 |
Contact info : | pavan.agrawal123@gmail.com |
Equipments : | Analysis Workstation |
Details
Executive Summary : | Nicotine addiction kills over 6 million people annually, and smoking in pregnant women is linked to birth defects, developmental, and neuronal defects in offspring. Nicotine's harmful effects can transmit across generations in humans, rodents, and worms, but the specific mechanisms remain unknown. The fruit fly-Drosophila provides a robust alternative to rodent models with a shorter generation time, sophisticated genetic tools, and conservation in neural mechanisms governing behaviors to study transgenerational effects of nicotine. Using multigenerational RNA-seq, qPCR, and behavioral assays, the study found that developmental nicotine (devNicotine) exposure regulates gene expression and behavior across generations. Both nicotine exposed females and their offspring avoided laying eggs on nicotine mixed food, suggesting the transmission of an adaptive trait to the next generation. RNA-seq and qPCR identified that eggshell genes were down-regulated in female ovaries from F0-F2 generations. The proposal aims to study the developmental and transgenerational effects of nicotine exposure and identify underlying molecular mechanisms using cellular, behavioral, and molecular assays. The study will identify neurons involved in devNicotine-induced alteration in oviposition preference, visualize how nicotine affects nervous system development within and across generations, and probe promoter regions of eggshell genes in ovaries using targeted ChIP-qPCR. This project will advance our understanding of molecular mechanisms by which nicotine affects the brain and behavior, making a fundamental contribution to neuroscience and behavioral biology. |
Total Budget (INR): | 44,12,910 |
Organizations involved