Phototransduction in Drosophila

The Drosophila visual transduction is the fastest known G protein-coupled signaling cascade and has been served as a model for understanding the molecular mechanisms of other G protein-coupled signaling cascades. Numbers of components in visual transduction machinery have been identified. Based on the functional characterization of these genes, a model for Drosophila phototransduction has been outlined, including rhodopsin activation, phosphoinoside signaling, and the opening of TRP and TRPL channels. Recently, the characterization of mutants, showing slow termination, revealed the physiological significance and the mechanism of rapid termination of light response.