Chromatin remodeling and dendrite wiring specificity in the Drosophila olfactory system
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- The human brain is an extraordinarily complex organ containing billions of neurons forming trillions of connections. The functionality of the brain lies in this intricate circuit wiring. How do the neurons form proper connections during development? The Drosophila olfactory system exhibits very precise and stereotyped neuronal connectivity that is specified predominantly by genetic programming. The dendrites of second-order olfactory projection neurons (PNs) pattern the developing antennal lobe prior to first-order olfactory receptor neuron (ORN) axon arrival, indicating an intrinsic wiring mechanism for PN dendrites. The antennal lobe is formed of ~50 glomeruli, each of which represents a very specific gathering of axons and dendrites; ORNs expressing the same odorant receptor and PNs of the same class converge onto single glomeruli. In this thesis, I present work furthering our understanding of intrinsic PN wiring specificity. First, I examine the role of histone deacetylase Rpd3 in PNs and show that it acts largely through the transcription factor Prospero. Second, I show the actin-related protein Bap55 acts as part of the TIP60 ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complex in PNs. My thesis shows that chromatin remodeling factors, previously believed to be involved in general housekeeping, actually play important postmitotic roles and contribute to PN dendrite wiring specificity.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic; electronic resource; remote |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Copyright date | 2011 |
| Publication date | 2010, c2011; 2010 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Associated with | Tea, Joy Singyi | |
|---|---|---|
| Associated with | Stanford University, Department of Neurosciences. | |
| Primary advisor | Luo, Liqun, 1966- | |
| Thesis advisor | Luo, Liqun, 1966- | |
| Thesis advisor | Crabtree, Gerald R | |
| Thesis advisor | Shen, Kang, 1972- | |
| Thesis advisor | Simon, Michael, (Biology professor) | |
| Advisor | Crabtree, Gerald R | |
| Advisor | Shen, Kang, 1972- | |
| Advisor | Simon, Michael, (Biology professor) |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | Joy S. Tea. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Department of Neurosciences. |
| Thesis | Ph.D. Stanford University 2011 |
| Location | electronic resource |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2011 by Joy Singyi Tea
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).
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