Main description:

The small fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has for over a century now had a large impact on biological and biomedical research; however, our knowledge of the fly brain has lagged significantly behind our understanding of other aspects of its development, physiology, and function. In The Making and Un-Making of Neuronal Circuits in Drosophila, innovative expert neuroscientists in the field present the ideas and concepts behind the methods, tools, and tricks that are currently being utilized to decode the secrets of this valuable insect's brain. Focused on the concept of a neuronal circuit, defined as a series of synaptically connected neurons subservient to a particular behavioral modality, this volume contains chapters dealing with anatomical analysis with a focus on cellular and sub-cellular morphologies. These detailed approaches fall under the headings of "Physiology" and "Behavior", conveniently divided the book into two sections. Written in the easy-to-follow Neuromethods series format, this work provides the kind of detailed description and implementation advice that is crucial for getting optimal results.

Inventive and accessible, The Making and Un-Making of Neuronal Circuits in Drosophila provides the information and tools necessary to carry out current experiments and, more importantly, further advance the progress of the Drosophila neurobiology field and neurobiology in general.

Contents:

Part I: Anatomy

1. Deciphering the Adult Brain: From Neuroanatomy to Behavior

Matthias Landgraf and Jan Felix Evers

Part II: Physiology

6. Studying Synaptic Transmission at the Drosophila Neuromuscular Junction Using Advanced FM 1-43 Technology

Ana Clara Fernandes, Valerie Uytterhoeven, and Patrik Verstreken

7. Optical Recording of Visually Evoked Activity in the Drosophila Central Nervous System

Dierk F. Reiff

Part III: Behavior

8. Behavioral Analysis of Navigation Behaviors in the Drosophila Larva

Matthieu Louis, Moraea Phillips, Mariana Lopez-Matas, and Simon Sprecher

9. Drosophila as a Genetic Model to Investigate Motion Vision

Daryl M. Gohl, Marion A. Silies, and Thomas R. Clandinin

Part IV: Futures

10. Using Primary Neuron Cultures of Drosophila to Analyze Neuronal Circuit Formation and Function

Andreas Prokop, Barbara Kuppers-Munther, and Natalia Sanchez-Soriano

11. Molecular Profiling of Neural Stem Cells in Drosophila melanogaster

Elizabeth E. Caygill, Katrina S. Gold, and Andrea H. Brand

12. Out with the Brain: Drosophila Whole-Brain Explant Culture

Marta Koch and Bassem A. Hassan

Liesbeth Zwarts, Jason Clements, and Patrick Callaerts

2. Genetically Encoded Markers for Drosophila Neuroanatomy

Xiao-jiang Quan, Ariane Ramaekers, and Bassem A. Hassan

3. Subcellular Resolution Imaging in Neural Circuits

W. Ryan Williamson, Chih-Chiang Chan, and P. Robin Hiesinger

4. In Vivo Single Cell Labeling Techniques

Chih-Fei Kao and Tzumin Lee

5. Neuronal Morphology in the Drosophila Embryo: Visualization, Digital Reconstruction, and Quantification

Matthias Landgraf and Jan Felix Evers

Part II: Physiology

6. Studying Synaptic Transmission at the Drosophila Neuromuscular Junction Using Advanced FM 1-43 Technology

Ana Clara Fernandes, Valerie Uytterhoeven, and Patrik Verstreken

7. Optical Recording of Visually Evoked Activity in the Drosophila Central Nervous System

Dierk F. Reiff

Part III: Behavior

8. Behavioral Analysis of Navigation Behaviors in the Drosophila Larva

Matthieu Louis, Moraea Phillips, Mariana Lopez-Matas, and Simon Sprecher

9. Drosophila as a Genetic Model to Investigate Motion Vision

Daryl M. Gohl, Marion A. Silies, and Thomas R. Clandinin

Part IV: Futures

10. Using Primary Neuron Cultures of Drosophila to Analyze Neuronal Circuit Formation and Function

Andreas Prokop, Barbara Kuppers-Munther, and Natalia Sanchez-Soriano

11. Molecular Profiling of Neural Stem Cells in Drosophila melanogaster

Elizabeth E. Caygill, Katrina S. Gold, and Andrea H. Brand

12. Out with the Brain: Drosophila Whole-Brain Explant Culture

Marta Koch and Bassem A. Hassan