Analysis of the Mechanisms and Principles of Neural Development in the Drosophila

99 p.Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2000.In addition, this research began to uncover the possible principles that are applied to synaptic development. By systematically examining individual neuromuscular synapse in Drosophila, I observed key features of synaptic formation. Examining the motoneurons that formed different types of boutons showed variances in the innervation patterns produced by the motoneurons. The motoneurons that developed the large synapses (type Ib) innervated one target, while the motoneurons that formed the smaller synapses (type Is and type II) innervated multiple partners. I was also able to identify the bouton types that specific motoneurons formed. This may be used to correlate the motoneuron characters to the synapse formed. Lastly, I presented a situation of synaptic remodeling in Drosophila that can be used to study synaptic plasticity. This part of my research characterized a model system in which one can observe events of synaptic plasticity and differentiation with the resolution of an individual cell.U of I OnlyRestricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETD