title: Dendritic development: lessons from Drosophila and related branches.
abstract: Dendrites show remarkable diversity in morphology and function, but the mechanisms that produce the characteristic forms is poorly understood. Insect systems offer a unique opportunity to manipulate and study identified neurons in otherwise undisturbed environments. Recent studies in Drosophila show that dendritic targeting, branching patterns, territories, and metamorphic remodeling are controlled in specific ways, by intrinsic genetic programs and extrinsic cues, with important implications for function. Here, we review some recent advances in our understanding of dendritic development in insects, focusing primarily on insights that have been gained from studies of Drosophila.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, 533 Parnassus Avenue, Box 0725, San Francisco CA 94143, USA.
authors.forename: Wesley B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Grueber
authors.forename: Yuh Nung
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Jan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003712:Dendrites / Q000502:physiology*; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D007313:Insecta / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development; D012679:Sense Organs / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins