William Daniel Tracey

The motor pattern of rolling escape locomotion in Drosophila larvae

This paper identifies the motor pattern of rolling escape locomotion in Drosophila larvae by analyzing muscle activation sequences during optogenetically triggered rolling.

Genomics and reproductive biology of Leptopilina n. sp. Buffington, Lue, Davis & Tracey sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Figitidae): An asexual parasitoid of Caribbean Drosophila

This paper describes a new parasitoid wasp species, Leptopilina n. sp., and presents its genome, Wolbachia endosymbiont, and reproductive biology.

Multiple mechanisms of action of an extremely painful venom

This study identifies multiple molecular mechanisms by which velvet ant venom activates nociceptors in both vertebrates and invertebrates.

Transcriptome-wide analysis of pseudouridylation in Drosophila melanogaster

The paper performs transcriptome-wide pseudouridylation analysis in Drosophila melanogaster, identifying thousands of Psi modifications across rRNAs, mRNAs, and non-coding RNAs, with implications for ribosome and mitochondrial function.

DROP: Molecular voucher database for identification of Drosophila parasitoids

The paper introduces DROP, a curated molecular reference database for Drosophila parasitoids, to improve molecular identification and taxonomic accuracy.

The Drosophila gene smoke alarm regulates nociceptor-epidermis interactions and thermal nociception behavior

This study identifies the Drosophila gene smal as essential for nociceptor dendrite morphogenesis and thermal nociception, with loss-of-function leading to thermal hyperalgesia.

Loss of pseudouridine synthases in the RluA family causes hypersensitive nociception in Drosophila

This study shows that loss of RluA family pseudouridine synthases in Drosophila leads to hypersensitive nociception and hyperbranched dendrites in nociceptor neurons.

Proprioceptive neurons of larval Drosophila melanogaster show direction selective activity requiring the mechanosensory channel TMC.

The paper shows that Tmc channels in Drosophila proprioceptors are required for direction-selective activity, with dendrite curvature triggering mechanosensory responses during locomotion.

BMP Signaling Downstream of the Highwire E3 Ligase Sensitizes Nociceptors.

This study identifies the Hiw-BMP pathway's role in regulating nociceptor sensitivity, showing that BMP signaling up-regulation in hiw mutants causes hypersensitivity to noxious stimuli.

The Drosophila small conductance potassium channel (SK) negatively regulates nociception.

This study identifies the Drosophila SK channel as a negative regulator of nociception by showing its role in modulating nociceptor excitability and localization to axons.

A shotgun approach to identify mechanical nociception genes.

The paper introduces a new high-throughput behavioral assay for mechanical nociception in Drosophila and identifies 21 genes involved in mechanical sensitivity.