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SUMMARY:Hox Control of a Drosophila Feeding Circuit. - Professor Dr Ingrid
  Lohmann from The Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) Heidelberg 
DTSTART:20130124T143000Z
DTEND:20130124T153000Z
UID:TALK41985@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Caroline Newnham
DESCRIPTION:Feeding is a crucial behaviour of all animals\, which relies o
 n rhythmic motor patterns triggered/elicited by specialized neural circuit
 s. Despite its vital importance\, specific determinants required for the d
 evelopment\, wiring and connectivity of feeding-specific neuromuscular net
 works are largely unknown. We have identified the Hox transcription factor
  Deformed (Dfd) to be expressed and functional in specific motoneurons and
  muscles\, which constitute the feeding circuit in Drosophila. Using genet
 ic\, molecular\, genomic and behavioural approaches we show that Dfd is ne
 eded at subsequent steps of the wiring program by directly controlling tar
 get genes with specific functions in motoneuronal specification\, axon gro
 wth and synapse development. Moreover\, the synchronous regulation of neur
 omuscular target recognition molecules in feeding-associated motoneurons a
 nd muscles indicates a role of Dfd in coordinating the interdependent even
 ts of feeding circuit formation. We finally demonstrate that the Dfd homol
 og Hoxb4 is expressed in motoneurons innervating jaw muscles in the verteb
 rate model medaka\, thereby providing the framework for examining the pote
 ntially conserved role of paralogy group 4 Hox genes in feeding circuitry 
 establishment. 
LOCATION:Part II Room\, Department of Genetics
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