Mechanisms underlying dendritic differentiation in Drosophila

神经元是高度极化的细胞，其中专门收集突触或感觉输入的隔室(躯体-树突隔间)与输出机制明显分开，仅限于轴突。轴突和树突最令人印象深刻的区别之一是它们不同的形态。虽然轴突是一个简单而漫长的过程，可以远距离到达其特定的目标，但树突形成了复杂的结构，显著地呈树枝状，使它们能够以细胞特有的方式计算输入信号。我们感兴趣的是了解复杂的和细胞特有的树枝晶形态是如何实现的。为了通过遗传手段解决树突的形成和形态，我们将使用果蝇(斜体字符)。我们已经进行了遗传筛选，并确定了一些影响胚胎外周神经系统(PNS)树突分化的突变体。我们现在建议详细描述这些突变体中的几个，分析它们对树枝晶形成的影响，并鉴定它们的分子性质。总之，这一分析将有助于识别树突发生的分子关键因子，从而为更好地理解树突分化提供依据。

Neurons are highly polarized cells in which the compartment devoted to collect synaptic or sensory inputs (somato-dendritic compartment) is clearly separated from the output machinery, restricted to the axon. One of the most impressive differences between axon and dendrites is their distinct morphology. While the axon is a simple and long process that reaches its specific targets over a distance, dendrites form sophisticated structures remarkably arborized allowing them to computate input signals in a cell specific manner. We are interested in understanding how the complex and cell-specific dendrite morphology is achieved. To address dendrite formation and morphology by genetic means we will use Drosophila(italics charakters). We have performed a genetic screen and identified a number of mutants that affect dendrite differentiation in the embryonic Peripheral Nervous System (PNS). We now propose to characterize in detail several of those mutants, analyze their effect on dendrite formation and identify their molecular nature. Altogether this analysis will enable the identification of molecular key players of dendritogenesis, and thus provide a better understanding of dendrite differentiation.