BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Astrocyte-like glia during visual circuit assembly in Drosophila -
  Iris Salecker
DTSTART:20160303T160000Z
DTEND:20160303T170000Z
UID:TALK64899@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Alaa
DESCRIPTION:Astrocytes are an essential part of brain architecture. This h
 eterogeneous cell population controls many aspects of nervous system devel
 opment\, function and homeostasis. To fulfill these roles\, astrocytes hav
 e to extend elaborate processes into the vicinity of neurons and their syn
 aptic contacts. However\, how astrocyte acquire their complex shapes at sp
 ecific positions in an assembling neural circuit remains poorly understood
 .\n\nTo address this issue\, we established an elongated astrocyte-like gl
 ial cell type\, the medulla neuropil glia\, in the Drosophila visual syste
 m as a model to study the genetic control of astrocyte development. We rea
 soned that astrocytes\, similar to neurons\, acquire their characteristic 
 shapes by cell-cell interactions that are mediated by secreted and cell su
 rface molecules. I will present our recent findings about the identificati
 on of a novel factor\, which plays a central role in astrocyte branch morp
 hogenesis and positioning in the optic lobe.
LOCATION:Hodgkin Huxley Seminar Room\, Physiology Building\, Downing Site
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR