Influence of Sensory Input and Environmental Stress on Brain Development, Behavior and Genomic Activity in Drosophila

University Of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas NV

Investigators

Abstract

Both inherited and environmental factors influence central nervous system (CNS) development, behavior, and gene activity throughout the lifetimes of animals. Sensory enrichment generally has a positive effect on CNS development, although the behavioral consequences of sensory enrichment are still in question. Alternatively, stress exposure typically disrupts CNS development, with known detrimental effects on behavioral and cognitive abilities. The proposed research focuses on the Drosophila mushroom body, a conserved structure in the insect brain necessary for olfactory learning. Normal mushroom body development has been demonstrated in genetic, transgenic and tissue ablation studies to be critical for cognitive functions in flies. Environmental conditions greatly affect Drosophila mushroom bodies in several ways. Artificially enriched visual and olfactory conditions enhance its development, while exposure to stressful temperatures and chemicals disrupt its anatomy. Hence, the opposite effects of enrichment and stress on CNS development should be counteractive and mirror behavioral and cognitive abilities as well as gene activity in the CNS. Specifically, the proposed research will establish the consequences of ecologically relevant variation in olfactory enrichment and thermal stress during development on (1) mushroom body and general anatomy, (2) behavior, and (3) gene expression in Drosophila. This study will identify fundamental relationships between environment, brain development, behavior, and gene expression through the integration of molecular, genetic, structural and functional perspectives.