Development and function of locomotor circuits in Drosophila

Stanford Bio-X Frontiers in Interdisciplinary Biosciences Seminar
CHRIS DOE, UNIVERSITY OF OREGON

Abstract:

We are interested in how neuronal diversity is generated, how it is used to establish neuronal circuits, and how circuits generate diverse locomotor behaviors. I will present on one of the following two topics:

In the first project, we have identified larval brain stem cells (neuroblasts) that generate the intrinsic columnar neurons of the central complex (CX), an evolutionarily conserved brain region required for celestial navigation. We have mapped the developmental origin of four columnar neuron subtypes, with the goal of (a) testing developmental mechanisms for a role in circuit assembly, and (b) testing the role of each subclass in adult navigation behaviors. In the second project, we have mapped the developmental origin of all 300 neurons in a single segment of the embryonic CNS, mapped their connectivity using ssTEM reconstruction, and are using this information to correlate developmental mechanism with connectivity. We have identified circuit features that map to clonally-related neurons (common neuroblast) or to temporally-related neurons (common birth-order), and are currently testing each mechanism for a role in motor circuit assembly and function.

May 2nd, 2019 at 4:00 PM in Clark Center Seminar Room S360

Hosted by:

Julia Kaltschmidt, Associate Professor of Neurosurgery, Stanford University

Pre-Seminar April 30th, 2018 at 4:00 PM in Clark S361