Development and function of an adult locomotion circuit in Drosophila

描述（由申请人提供）：动物运动需要运动神经元的协调放电，触发附属物（如腿）肌肉的收缩。此外，协调需要来自位于附属物的感觉神经元的反馈。为了了解功能性运动神经元回路是如何形成的，该项目将研究成年果蝇行走所用的运动回路的发育和功能。组合转录因子编码需要给每个运动神经元其特定的身份将破译使用新的遗传和分子生物学方法。一旦确定，将分析干扰少量运动神经元对行走的影响。最后，将描述腿部机械感觉器官的感觉反馈的作用。总之，这些研究将为一种新的遗传系统模型奠定基础，用于研究一种遗传易感动物的运动回路，这种动物与幼虫不同，它使用附属物来运动。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Animal locomotion requires the coordinated firing of motor neurons that trigger the contraction of muscles in the appendages, such as the legs. In addition, coordination requires feedback from sensory neurons located in the appendages. To understand how functional motor neuron circuits form, this project will investigate the development and function of the motor circuit used by the adult fruit fly for walking. The combinatorial transcription factor code required to give each motor neuron its particular identity will be deciphered using both novel genetic and molecular biology approaches. Once identified, the consequences on walking of perturbing small numbers of motor neurons will be analyzed. Finally, the role of sensory feedback from mechanosensory organs in the legs will be characterized. Together, these studies will lay the ground work for a new model genetic system for studying motor circuits in a genetically tractable animal that, unlike its larval counterpart, uses appendages for locomotion. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Animal locomotion requires the coordinated firing of motor neurons that trigger the contraction of muscles in the appendages, such as the legs. This project will investigate the development and function of the motor circuit used by the adult fruit fly for walking. The use of this model system will help to decipher the genes and neurons required for coordinated locomotion and, therefore, the eventual treatment of motor neuron-related dysfunction resulting from neurodegenerative diseases and aging.