Genetic Analysis of Dendrite Maintenance in Drosophila Sensory Neurons

树突树枝化模式是神经元类型的标志，也是神经元功能的关键决定因素。 虽然在理解树突如何占据其领地方面取得了进展，但很少有进展。 我们知道神经元如何维持树突覆盖它们的感受野。由于枝晶缺陷是 最强的相关性与智力迟钝，理解树突维持现象及其 潜在的机制对疾病，特别是神经退行性疾病具有重要意义。 然而，技术上的限制使得枝晶的维持成为一个很难处理的现象。的 本研究的长期目标是确定不同组织中调节树突维持的机制。 神经元类型。一般的方法是使用基因筛选和基于微阵列的基因表达 分析以鉴定细胞自主调节树突维持的基因。详细的遗传和细胞生物学 对这些基因的神经功能的分析应该提供对机制的基本理解， 调节枝晶维持。本研究的具体目的是：（1）鉴定出 树突维持和突变定义了果蝇感觉树突维持的不同模式 神经元，（2）表征神经元从 建立，以保持感受野覆盖，（3）获得洞察如何建立和 在给定的神经元中协调感受野覆盖的维持。

Dendrite arborization patterns are a hallmark of neuronal type and a critical determinant of neuronal function. Although progress has been made in understanding how dendrites come to occupy their territory, very little is known about how neurons maintain dendritic coverage of their receptive field. Since dendrite defects are the strongest correlate with mental retardation, understanding the phenomenon of dendrite maintenance and its underlying mechanisms has important implications for disease, particularly neurodegenerative disorders. Nevertheless, technical limitations have made dendrite maintenance a largely intractable phenomenon. The long-term objectives ofthis study are to define mechanisms that regulate dendrite maintenance in different neuronal types. The general approach is to use genetic screening and microarray-based gene expression profiling to identify genes that cell-autonomously regulate dendrite maintenance. Detailed genetic and cellbiological analyses ofthe neuronal function of these genes should provide a basic understanding of mechanisms regulating dendrite maintenance. The specific aims ofthis study are (1) to identify genes that are rquired for dendrite maintenance and mutationally define different modes of dendrite maintenance in Drosophila sensory neurons, (2] to characterize the molecular and cell-biological changes that occur as a neuron transitions from establishing to maintaining receptive field coverage, and (3) to gain insight into how establishment and maintenance of receptive field coverage are coordinated in a given neuron.