Multimodal Chemosensory Integration through the Maxillary Palp in Drosophila

Drosophila melanogaster has an olfactory organ called the maxillary palp. It is smaller and numerically simpler than the antenna, and its specific role in behavior has long been unclear. Because of its proximity to the mouthparts, I explored the possibility of a role in taste behavior. Maxillary palp was tuned to mediate odor-induced taste enhancement: a sucrose solution was more appealing when simultaneously presented with the odorant 4-methylphenol. The same result was observed with other odors that stimulate other types of olfactory receptor neuron in the maxillary palp. When an antennal olfactory receptor was genetically introduced in the maxillary palp, the fly interpreted a new odor as a sweet-enhancing smell. These results all point to taste enhancement as a function of the maxillary palp. It also opens the door for studying integration of multiple senses in a model organism

Unraveling a 146 Years Old Taxonomic Puzzle: Validation of Malabar Snakehead, Species-Status and Its Relevance for Channid Systematics and Evolution

The current distribution of C. diplogramma and C. micropeltes is best explained by vicariance. The significant variation in the key taxonomic characters and the results of the molecular marker analysis points towards an allopatric speciation event or vicariant divergence from a common ancestor, which molecular data suggests to have occurred as early as 21.76 million years ago. The resurrection of C. diplogramma from the synonymy of C. micropeltes has hence been confirmed 146 years after its initial description and 134 years after it was synonymised, establishing it is an endemic species of peninsular India and prioritizing its conservation value

Drug Review - Rofecoxib: A New Selective COX-2 Inhibitor

Pain is one of the commonest symptoms in many patients. The common causes of pain include musculoskelet al conditions like osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. (1) Nonsteroidal antiflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) are the first line drugs used in the treatment of such patients for alleviation pf pain. The principal mechanism of action of NSAIDS is via the inhibition of cyclo-oxygenase enzyme (COX) involved in synthesis of prostaglandins. Decrease of prostaglandins can lead to decrease in pain and inflammation as they are one of the mediators involved in inflammation This enzyme exists in 2 isoforms - COX 1 and COX 2. The former is the constitutively expressed form of the enzyme, involved in prostaglandin synthesis in gastrointestinal, renal system and the platelets while the latter is induced by inflammation following inury. Recent studies confirm that inhibition of COX-2 - the other isoform is responsible for antiinflammatory effects of NSAIDS. (2) Rofecoxib is a newer COX-2 inhibitor that is developed for use in patients with osteoarthritis and/or acute pain and is now available in the Indian market