USE OF REASH FOR EM CONNECTIVITY STUDIES IN THE DROSOPHILA BRAIN

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. We are interested in assessing whether the biarsenical ligands, in particular ReAsH, can be used for studying neuroanatomy in Drosophila using photoconversion and electron microscopy. In proof of principle analysis we will assess whether a tetracysteine motif modified synaptotagmin protein expressed specically in one identified neuronal subclass in the fly can be used to identify presynaptic profiles. These constructs are already in flies. Should ReAsH/photoconversion work in the fly, we will be able to target expression of modified transgenes to many identified neurons whose detailed patterns of synaptic connectivity are not yet known. These studies would provide an invaluable resource for studying the development and function of neural circuits in the fly brain. We started our collaboration with NCMIR in October 2003, exchanged reagents and protocols with scientists at NCMIR and are currently trouble-shooting staining with ReAsH in fly embryos.