Pathfinding of Pioneering Neurons in the Wing Imaginal Disc

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The aim of this research is to investigate the molecules that mediate adhesion of growth cones to basal processes. The procedures used will involve first raising monoclonal antibodies against wing epithelial cells at the appropriate stage of development. Next these antibodies will be screened for their ability to bind to antigens showing a graded distribution along the PD axis on exposed basal surfaces of epithelial cells. These antigens will represent candidates that could provide directional cues for axonal guidance. Finally, functional assays for the role of antigenic candidates in axonal pathfinding will be carried out in vitro with Fab fragments of antibodies. The study of morphogenetic processes in Manduca can eventually be extended to the molecular genetic level by using Manduca in tandem with its fellow holometabolous insect, Drosophila. This research allies well with the Principal Investigator's long range goals of defining morphogenesis, as it occurs in situ, at all levels of biological organization, ultimately leading to a description in molecular terms of cell-substratum and cell-cell interactions associated with morphogenesis.