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PERSISTENCE OF DROSOPHILA LARVAL MOTOR NEURONS INTO THE ADULT-IMPLICATIONS FOR BEHAVIOR

Banerjee, Soumya
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1379680527

Abstract Details

2013, Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, Zoology.
Drosophila Melanogaster is a well-established model for investigating neuro-developmental remodeling, as its nervous system undergoes extensive re-organization during the 4-day metamorphosis period as it shifts from a crawling larva to an adult capable of flight and walking. Studies described in this thesis examine the developmental fate and functional significance of a subset of embryonic/larval abdominal motor neurons (MNs) that expresses the dHb9 transcription factor. The present studies demonstrate that a subset of dHb9-positive larval MNs persists during metamorphosis to incorporate into the adult specific neural circuitry. Manipulation of this subset of neurons during metamorphosis results in eclosion defects such as a decrease in overall eclosion rate and an increase in the time required to eclose. Another subset of dHb9-positive larval MNs dies during early metamorphosis, and deletion of cell death gene reaper can prevent the programmed cell death (PCD) of these MNs until the newly eclosed adult stage, suggesting that the elimination of dHb9-positive larval MNs during metamorphosis is reaper dependent. Furthermore, this study shows that supernumerary dHb9 expressing MNs in the adult maintain their transcriptional identity, project axons to the periphery and are capable of making synaptic contacts with peripheral muscles. This thesis also demonstrates how the formation of the adult specific abdominal segmental nerve projection pattern is affected when the cell death machinery is inhibited in reaper null mutants.
Joyce Fernandes (Advisor)
Kathleen Killian (Committee Member)
Katia Del Rio-Tsonis (Committee Member)
David Pennock (Committee Member)
Richard Moore (Committee Member)
135 p.
Academic Guidance Counseling
nervous system remodeling; abdominal motor neurons; dHb9; eclosion behavior; programmed cell death; supernumerary motor neurons; metamorphosis; Drosophila

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Banerjee, S. (2013). PERSISTENCE OF DROSOPHILA LARVAL MOTOR NEURONS INTO THE ADULT-IMPLICATIONS FOR BEHAVIOR [Doctoral dissertation, Miami University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1379680527

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Banerjee, Soumya. PERSISTENCE OF DROSOPHILA LARVAL MOTOR NEURONS INTO THE ADULT-IMPLICATIONS FOR BEHAVIOR. 2013. Miami University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1379680527.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Banerjee, Soumya. "PERSISTENCE OF DROSOPHILA LARVAL MOTOR NEURONS INTO THE ADULT-IMPLICATIONS FOR BEHAVIOR." Doctoral dissertation, Miami University, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1379680527

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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© 2013, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Miami University and OhioLINK.