Development and Function of an Adult Locomotion Circuit in Drosophila

项目摘要 神经元之间的形态多样性是巨大的，对它们的功能至关重要，但我们的研究中存在许多空白。 关于这种多样性是如何遗传编码的知识仍然存在。与脊椎动物的运动神经元一样， 果蝇的运动神经元在正确的肌肉纤维上建立高度特异性的突触， 在中枢神经系统（CNS）中，它的附属物和复杂的高度定型的树突状乔木。在 在前一个资助期，我们描述了个体后代和转录因子编码， 最大的神经母细胞谱系之一，产生运动神经元和神经胶质细胞的神经元身份。 我们进一步描述了IG结构域家族成员在建立运动神经元某些方面的作用， 身份实时成像为运动神经元成熟的相关阶段提供了前所未有的途径 在蛹的阶段。 在接下来的资助期内，我们将扩展这些发现，以了解转录因子在转录后 有丝分裂神经元调节它们的靶基因。我们将开展一系列的全基因组和单细胞研究 来获取全基因组范围内的信息。最后，我们将分析IG的其他成员 结构域超家族，以评估除了轴突靶向之外，它们在运动神经元形态学中发挥的其他作用 在发展过程中。

PROJECT SUMMARY The morphological diversity among neurons is enormous and critical to their function, yet many gaps in our knowledge remain concerning how this diversity is genetically encoded. As with vertebrate motor neurons, the motor neurons of Drosophila melanogaster establish highly specific synapses on the correct muscle fibers in the appendages and also elaborate highly stereotyped dendritic arbors in the central nervous system (CNS). In the previous funding period, we characterized the individual progeny and transcription factor codes that govern neuronal identities for one of the largest neuroblast lineages that give rise to motor neurons and neuropil glia. We further described the role of Ig domain family members in establishing certain aspects of motor neuron identities. Live imaging provided unprecedented access to the relevant stages of motor neuron maturation during pupal stages. In the coming funding period we will extend these findings to understand how transcription factors in post- mitotic neurons regulate their target genes. We will carry out a series of whole genome and single cell studies to obtain this information on a genome-wide scale. Finally, we will analyze additional members of the Ig domain superfamily to assess what other roles, besides axon targeting, they play in motor neuron morphology during development.