Mechanisms underlying dendritic differentiation in Drosophila

神经元是高度极化的细胞，其中专门用于收集突触或感觉输入的隔室（体细胞-树突隔室）与输出机制明显分离，仅限于轴突。轴突和树突之间最令人印象深刻的区别之一是它们独特的形态。虽然轴突是一个简单而漫长的过程，可以在一定距离内到达其特定的目标，但树突形成了复杂的结构，这些结构非常复杂，允许它们以细胞特异性的方式计算输入信号。我们有兴趣了解复杂的和细胞特异性的树突形态是如何实现的。为了通过遗传手段解决树突形成和形态，我们将使用果蝇（斜体字符）。我们已经进行了遗传筛选，并确定了一些突变体，影响树突分化的胚胎外周神经系统（PNS）。我们现在建议详细描述这些突变体中的几个，分析它们对树突形成的影响，并确定它们的分子性质。总之，这种分析将使分子的树突发生的关键球员的识别，从而提供了一个更好的理解树突分化。

Neurons are highly polarized cells in which the compartment devoted to collect synaptic or sensory inputs (somato-dendritic compartment) is clearly separated from the output machinery, restricted to the axon. One of the most impressive differences between axon and dendrites is their distinct morphology. While the axon is a simple and long process that reaches its specific targets over a distance, dendrites form sophisticated structures remarkably arborized allowing them to computate input signals in a cell specific manner. We are interested in understanding how the complex and cell-specific dendrite morphology is achieved. To address dendrite formation and morphology by genetic means we will use Drosophila(italics charakters). We have performed a genetic screen and identified a number of mutants that affect dendrite differentiation in the embryonic Peripheral Nervous System (PNS). We now propose to characterize in detail several of those mutants, analyze their effect on dendrite formation and identify their molecular nature. Altogether this analysis will enable the identification of molecular key players of dendritogenesis, and thus provide a better understanding of dendrite differentiation.