Molecular mechanisms for Drosophila neuronetwork formation.
Understanding the establishment of functional neuronetworks is one of the frontiers of developmental neurobiology. The use of axons and dendrites from Drosophila nervous system as a model allows the identification of molecular mechanisms which give neurons the ability to guide their processes en route to connect precisely with their partners. By focusing on selected Drosophila model systems, we discuss the recent advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating guidance, branching and targeting of axons and dendrites required for the establishment of a functional neuronetwork.
Department of Cell and Structural Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Ill. 61801, USA. mfurrer@uiuc.edu
Marie-Pierre
MP
Furrer
Akira
A
Chiba
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D003712:Dendrites / Q000502:physiology; D004330:Drosophila / Q000502:physiology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D009424:Nervous System Physiological Phenomena; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D017956:Photoreceptor Cells, Invertebrate / Q000502:physiology