Identification of Spinal Neurons Contributing to the Dorsal Column Projection Mediating Fine Touch and Corrective Motor Movements.

Tactile stimuli are integrated and processed by neuronal circuits in the deep dorsal horn of the spinal cord. Several spinal interneuron populations have been implicated in tactile information processing. However, dorsal horn projection neurons that contribute to the postsynaptic dorsal column (PSDC) pathway transmitting tactile information to the brain are poorly characterized.

Inhibition of oxidative stress in cholinergic projection neurons fully rescues aging-associated olfactory circuit degeneration in .

Loss of the sense of smell is among the first signs of natural aging and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Cellular and molecular mechanisms promoting this smell loss are not understood. Here, we show that also loses olfaction before vision with age.

Neuropeptides Modulate Female Chemosensory Processing upon Mating in Drosophila.

A female's reproductive state influences her perception of odors and tastes along with her changed behavioral state and physiological needs. The mechanism that modulates chemosensory processing, however, remains largely elusive. Using Drosophila, we have identified a behavioral, neuronal, and genetic mechanism that adapts the senses of smell and taste, the major modalities for food quality perception, to the physiological needs of a gravid female.

Drosophila Psidin regulates olfactory neuron number and axon targeting through two distinct molecular mechanisms.

The formation of neuronal circuits is a key process of development, laying foundations for behavior. The cellular mechanisms regulating circuit development are not fully understood. Here, we reveal Psidin as an intracellular regulator of Drosophila olfactory system formation.

A new Prospero and microRNA-279 pathway restricts CO2 receptor neuron formation.

CO(2) sensation represents an interesting example of nervous system and behavioral evolutionary divergence. The underlying molecular mechanisms, however, are not understood. Loss of microRNA-279 in Drosophila melanogaster leads to the formation of a CO(2) sensory system partly similar to the one of mosquitoes.