Mechanosensory Transduction in Drosophila Melanogaster, 1st ed. 2017 SpringerBriefs in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Series

This book offers an essential introduction for all graduate students and researchers who are working on or interested in mechanotransduction using fruit flies as their model organisms. Designed for accessibility, it follows a simple five-chapter structure, beginning with a general introduction to mechanotransduction in physiology (Chapter 1) and some basic considerations on the principles behind mechanotransduction processes (Chapter 2). In turn, Chapters 3, 4 and 5 focus on mechanoreceptors in Drosophila melanogaster. Chapter 3 explains how the fly?s mechanosensitive cells (i.e. mechanoreceptors) contribute to its daily life, while Chapter 4 explores the ultrastructural and mechanical basis for the working mechanisms of various fly mechanoreceptors. Lastly, Chapter 5 elaborates on the structure, function and physiology of mechanosensitive molecules in fly mechanoreceptors.

Accordingly, the book provides an overall framework, helping readers understand

Overview of Mechanosensory Transduction.- “Gating-Spring” Model for Mechanotransduction.- Mechanoreceptors in Drosophila melanogaster.- Mechanotransduction in Drosophila mechanoreceptors.- Drosophila Mechanotransduction Channels.

Xin Liang is a biophysicist. He received his B.S. degree and Ph.D. from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2003 and 2007, respectively. He then moved to the Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden, Germany for postdoctoral research (Supervisor: Prof. Jonathon Howard). In 2015, he moved back to China and started his own research group at the School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University in Beijing. Currently, his primary research interest is in understanding “how cells sense forces” at both the cell biological and molecular level.  

Landi Sun received her Ph.D. from Lanzhou University in 2015. Soon after, she began her postdoctoral research at Tsinghua University. She is currently investigating the structural-mechanical basis of mechanotransduction in Drosophila melanogaster.

Zhen Liu graduated from Tsinghua University in 2015 (B.S.), where he is now a graduate student. His current focus is on understanding how diffe

Providing a comprehensive summary on the historical achievements and the cutting-edge discoveries on mechanotransduction

Throughout discussing the recent developments on the study of mechanotransduction in flies

With ample figures