Synaptic Targeting in Hard-Wired Neural Circuits Underlying an Innate Behavior

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

How are synaptic targets pre-specified in a hard-wired neural circuit? Our proposed research program will address several major questions about the molecular and cellular mechanisms of synaptic targeting specificity to better understand how genes can encode innate behaviors. These projects will determine how molecules can alter a synaptic circuit, and how this changes the animal's perception and behavior. To examine these questions we will image the synaptic targeting decisions of single, identifiable neurons in a hard-wired stereotyped neural circuit using high-resolution in vivo imaging combined with genetic manipulations and behavioral assays in Drosophila. Specifically, we will: 1) Investigate the functions of different neural receptor molecules in synapse targeting and circuit function. 2) Characterize the cellular mechanisms of hard-wired synaptic targeting decisions using 2-photon in vivo time-lapse imaging during Drosophila development. Addressing these questions will allow fundamental insights into how genes control pre-specified synaptic targeting decisions and how differences in connectivity affect the output of a neural circuit. These experiments will be the first step in understanding the precision of molecules in guiding the finer targeting decisions of neural circuit formation and provide a framework for elucidating the different mechanisms of synapse targeting specificity.