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Full-Text Articles in Neuroscience and Neurobiology

The Effect Of Optogenetically Activating Glia On Neuronal Function, Cecilia Pankau, Shelby Mccubbin, Robin L. Cooper Oct 2021

The Effect Of Optogenetically Activating Glia On Neuronal Function, Cecilia Pankau, Shelby Mccubbin, Robin L. Cooper

Biology Faculty Publications

Glia, or glial cells, are considered a vital component of the nervous system, serving as an electrical insulator and a protective barrier from the interstitial (extracellular) media. Certain glial cells (i.e., astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes) within the CNS have been shown to directly affect neural functions, but these properties are challenging to study due to the difficulty involved with selectively-activating specific glia. To overcome this hurdle, we selectively expressed light-sensitive ion channels (i.e., channel rhodopsin, ChR2-XXL) in glia of larvae and adult Drosophila melanogaster. Upon activation of ChR2, both adults and larvae showed a rapid contracture of body wall …


The Role Of The Dal Neurons In Modulating Circadian Rhythms In Olfactory Short-Term Memory In Drosophila Melanogaster, Cooper Ruwe Apr 2021

The Role Of The Dal Neurons In Modulating Circadian Rhythms In Olfactory Short-Term Memory In Drosophila Melanogaster, Cooper Ruwe

Honors Theses

Depressed short-term memory (STM) abilities during non-adaptive times of the day can significantly impact those who work occupations that require peak levels of cognitive functioning around the clock. While much work has gone into understanding the endogenous clock and circadian rhythms, there is still much to learn about the neural circuity that underlies the daily rhythms that define these regular oscillations in STM performance. The DAL neurons in the Drosophila brain are part of the circadian network and innervate the mushroom bodies (MBs), the species’ olfactory learning center, making them compelling candidates to be involved in circadian circuitry for olfactory …


Functional Regionalization In The Fly Eye As An Adaptation To Habitat Structure, Carlos A. Ruiz Mar 2021

Functional Regionalization In The Fly Eye As An Adaptation To Habitat Structure, Carlos A. Ruiz

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With over 150,000 described species, flies constitute one of the most species-rich groups of animals on earth, and have managed to colonize almost every corner of it. Part of their success comes from their amazing flying skills, which are strongly tied to their visual capabilities. To navigate fast and accurately through their habitats, they must be able to process the inordinate amounts of visual information necessary to sort obstacles, avoid predators and remain on course. Surprisingly, despite their tiny brains, flies have no problem in processing all that information to generate correcting maneuvers in just about 30 ms. To this …


Describing A Putative Corollary Discharge Circuit In Drosophila, Kaitlyn Nicole Boone Jan 2021

Describing A Putative Corollary Discharge Circuit In Drosophila, Kaitlyn Nicole Boone

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Corollary discharge (CD) circuits provide critical information about movement and behavior to provide context to sensory processing. However, to date, there has not been a comprehensive study of CD circuits at a single-cell level. In this thesis, I aimed to resolve the connectivity of ascending histaminergic neurons, consisting of two pairs, the mesothoracic pair (MsAHNs) and metathoracic pair (MtAHNs) at a single-cell level and characterize contexts of activation. Using transgenic techniques, connectomics and transcriptomics, we identify neural populations receiving input from the AHNs and neural populations with significant output to the AHNs. We explored where the AHNs predominantly receive synaptic …