The Fly Neuromuscular Junction: Structure and Function, 75

Introduction on the use of the Drosophila embryonic/larval neuromuscular junction as a model system to study synapse development and function, and a brief summary of pathfinding and target recognition.Development and structure of motoneurons.The development of the Drosophila larval body wall muscles.Organisation of the efferent system and structure of neuromuscular junctions in Drosophila.Development of electrical properties and motor output.Transmitter release at the neuromuscular junction.Vesicle trafficking and recycling at the neuromuscular junction: Two pathways for endocytosis.Glutamate receptors at the NMJ.Scaffolding proteins at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction.Plasticity and second messengers during synapse development.Retrograde signaling that regulates synaptic development and function at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction.Activity-dependent regulation of transcription during development of synapses.Experience-dependent potentiation of NMJs.Selected methods for the anatomical study of Drosophila embryonic and larval neuromuscular junctions.