IOS: Regulation of hematopoietic development by the peripheral nervous system

University Of California-San Francisco, San Francisco CA

Investigators

Abstract

One of the outstanding questions in animal development is how sensory inputs, through local innervation by the peripheral nervous system (PNS), regulate organ microenvironments and stem cell niches. The proposed research addresses this question using a simple invertebrate model, i.e. the Hematopoietic Pockets (HPs) in the body wall of the optically transparent Drosophila melanogaster larva. In this system, blood cells develop in direct physical contact with segmentally repeated sensory PNS clusters, and functionally rely on the PNS for their attraction, proliferation and trophic survival. The objective of the proposed research is to identify (1) which responses of the hematopoietic cells are regulated by PNS activity, and (2) what are the cellular and molecular mechanisms in the relay of PNS activity to blood cell signaling, using a combination of inducible genetic systems, live imaging and ex vivo analyses. The long-term goal of this research is to understand the signals through which development of the hematopoietic system is modulated by the peripheral nervous system and its sensory inputs. This work is significant because it is expected to reveal general principles how the development of animal tissues is regulated by the PNS and its afferent inputs, allowing adaptation of the animal. The proposed research will benefit global and local research communities and integrate the education of underprivileged students. Scientists on the project will contribute to the scientific community and the education of students and teachers through traditional approaches and by developing a Drosophila Genetics App for smartphones to map out genetic strategies that will be made publicly available.