Quantification of Synapse Number for Identification of Molecules Influencing Cholinergic Synapse Formation in Drosophila
| dc.contributor.author | Sweet, Serena | |
| dc.contributor.author | Ackerman, Sarah | |
| dc.contributor.author | Sales, Emily | |
| dc.contributor.author | Doe, Chris Q. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2017-09-27T22:04:04Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2017-09-27T22:04:04Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2017 | |
| dc.description | Single page poster. | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | Synapses are chemical junctions between neurons that allow signals to be transmitted from one neuron to another. Although disruptions to synapse structure and function contribute to symptoms of most neurological disorders, not much is known about the molecular mechanisms that are responsible for synapse formation and maintenance. Glial cells are a group of non-neuronal cells in the nervous system known for protecting neurons and mediating neuronal function. Astrocytes are glial cells that secrete synaptogenic compounds required for synapse formation. Here, we combine the reverse genetic technique of RNAi and light microscopy to identify novel secreted and cell surface molecules from astrocytes that influence understudied cholinergic synapses in Drosophila melanogaster. I studied two established techniques for labeling the active-zone protein Bruchpilot (Brp) in cholinergic dorsal bipolar dendritic (Dbd) neurons to quantify synapses: 1) Brp-short and 2) Synaptic tagging with recombination (STaR). I used light microscopy to quantify Dbd-synapse number at three larval (L) stages: L1, L2, and L3. We will use this information to identify novel regulators of synapse development by performing an astrocyte-specific RNAi screen choosing genes that are predicted as cell surface or secreted, are highly conserved in humans, and are highly expressed by astrocytes. This screen will allow us to identify new genes that instruct synapse formation and maintenance that could ultimately contribute to the establishment of therapies for neurological disorders. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1794/22802 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_US | en_US |
| dc.publisher | University of Oregon | en_US |
| dc.rights | Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0-US | en_US |
| dc.title | Quantification of Synapse Number for Identification of Molecules Influencing Cholinergic Synapse Formation in Drosophila | en_US |
| dc.type | Other | en_US |