Molecular Origins of the Pair1 and Moonwalker Descending Neuron's Neural Circuitry in Drosophila
| dc.contributor.advisor | Doe, Chris | |
| dc.contributor.author | Linskens, Amanda | |
| dc.contributor.author | Lee, Kristen | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2021-07-27T16:51:30Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2021-07-27T16:51:30Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2021 | |
| dc.description | 1 page. | |
| dc.description.abstract | During Drosophila development, neuroblasts produce neurons that acquires their identity based on the temporal transcription factor (tTF) present during birth. Although research shows that tTFs generate diversity, few have looked at how tTFs establish neuronal circuits. My study focuses on Moonwalker Descending Neurons (MDNs), which induce backward locomotion, and Pair1 neurons, which initiate pausing. Prior research in our laboratory showed that MDNs synapse onto Pair1s in larvae and adults. Therefore, I hypothesized that both derive from a common tTF. To investigate this, I expressed green fluorescent protein (GFP) in MDN or Pair1s, immunolabeled for tTFs and quantified tTF-GFP colocalization. Interestingly, both expressed Hunchback (Hb). I hypothesized that Hb is important for MDN-Pair1 circuit function and establishment. To determine whether Hb is important for MDN-Pair1 circuit function, I increased and decreased Hb levels in Pair1s and assayed behavior. To determine whether Hb is important for MDN-Pair1 circuit establishment, I analyzed morphological differences when Hb levels were increased or decreased in Pair1. Thus far, I found that Hb overexpression resulted in an extra Pair1, showing Hb is sufficient to produce individual Pair1s. However, Hb knockdown resulted in Pair1 axons failing to descend into the ventral nerve cord, affecting behavior. My research supports that neurons born from similar developmental origins may preferentially connect for functional purposes. | en_US |
| dc.format.mimetype | application/pdf | |
| dc.identifier.orcid | https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8678-3293 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1794/26439 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_US | |
| dc.publisher | University of Oregon | |
| dc.rights | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 | |
| dc.subject | Neurobiology | en_US |
| dc.subject | Development | en_US |
| dc.subject | Molecular Biology | en_US |
| dc.subject | Drosophila | en_US |
| dc.subject | Gal4/UAS | en_US |
| dc.title | Molecular Origins of the Pair1 and Moonwalker Descending Neuron's Neural Circuitry in Drosophila | |
| dc.type | Presentation |