Transcriptional control of neuronal differentiation in drosophila

人类思考、学习、记忆和移动的能力依赖于神经元之间特定连接网络的形成。神经元是神经系统中的特化细胞类型，其延伸称为轴突的投射，神经元通过轴突彼此通信。 神经生物学的一个主要问题是了解神经元之间的精确连接在发育过程中是如何产生的。但是，即使在果蝇（Drosophila melanogaster）这样简单的神经系统中，大多数神经元之间的连接模式也没有被描述。因此，很难研究在建立神经元的整体形态和投射模式中起作用的基因的作用。 拟议研究的目标是（i）确定标记果蝇中枢神经系统中单个神经元投射模式的分子标记物，（ii）建立一个详细的地图，将这些神经元的投射模式与已知控制神经元发育的蛋白质的表达模式相关联，以及（iii）了解这些蛋白质，它在细胞核中充当转录因子，开启或关闭其他基因的表达，控制单个神经元的相互连接和功能。这项工作将深入了解神经元之间的精确连接网络是如何在发育过程中出现的，从而更好地理解简单和复杂行为的细胞和分子控制。此外，该提案将研究型大学的研究与文理学院的生物学课程相结合，为本科生创造90多个为科学研究做出贡献的机会，并为生物医学科学的潜在职业提供特殊培训。

The ability of humans to think, learn, remember and move relies on the formation of networks of specific connections between neurons. Neurons are specialized cell types in the nervous system that extend projections called axons, through which neurons communicate with each other. A principle question in neurobiology is to understand how precise connections between neurons arise during development. But, even in simple nervous systems like that of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, the patterns of connections between most neurons have not been characterized. As a result, it has been difficult to investigate the roles of genes that function in establishing the overall morphology and projection patterns of neurons. The goals of the proposed research are (i) to identify molecular markers that label the projection patterns of individual neurons in the fruit fly central nervous system, (ii) to establish a detailed map which correlates the projection patterns of these neurons with the expression patterns of proteins known to control neuronal development, and (iii) to understand how these proteins, which act as transcription factors in the nucleus to turn on or off the expression of other genes, control the interconnections and functions of individual neurons. This work will provide insight into how precise networks of connections between neurons arise during development, resulting in a better understanding of the cellular and molecular control of simple and complex behaviors. In addition, the proposal integrates research at a research university with the biology curriculum of a liberal arts college, creating over 90 opportunities for undergraduates to contribute to scientific research, and providing exceptional training for potential careers in the biomedical sciences.