In: PLOS Genetics, 2020, vol. 16, no. 11, p. e1008913
Mitotic divisions depend on the timely assembly and proper orientation of the mitotic spindle. Malfunctioning of these processes can considerably delay mitosis, thereby compromising tissue growth and homeostasis, and leading to chromosomal instability. Loss of functional Mms19 drastically affects the growth and development of mitotic tissues in Drosophila larvae and we now demonstrate that...
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In: Scientific Reports, 2020, vol. 10, no. 1, p. 2752
Organisms possess an endogenous molecular clock which enables them to adapt to environmental rhythms and to synchronize their metabolism and behavior accordingly. Circadian rhythms govern daily oscillations in numerous physiological processes, and the underlying molecular components have been extensively described from fruit flies to mammals. Drosophila larvae have relatively simple nervous...
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In: eLife, 2019, vol. 8, p. e50354
Cell diversity of the brain and how it is affected by starvation, remains largely unknown. Here, we introduce a single cell transcriptome atlas of the entire Drosophila first instar larval brain. We first assigned cell-type identity based on known marker genes, distinguishing five major groups: neural progenitors, differentiated neurons, glia, undifferentiated neurons and non-neural cells....
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In: Ageing Research Reviews, 2019, vol. 55, p. 100956
Sensory capacities like smell, taste, hearing, vision decline with aging, but increasing evidence show that sensory dysfunctions are one of the early signs diagnosing the conversion from physiological to pathological brain state. Smell loss represents the best characterized sense in clinical practice and is considered as one of the first preclinical signs of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s...
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In: Developmental Biology, 2019, vol. 453, no. 1, p. 56–67
Photoreceptor cells (PRCs) across the animal kingdom are characterized by a stacking of apical membranes to accommodate the high abundance of photopigment. In arthropods and many other invertebrate phyla PRC membrane stacks adopt the shape of densely packed microvilli that form a structure called rhabdomere. PRCs and surrounding accessory cells, including pigment cells and lens-forming cells,...
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In: Evolution Letters, 2019, p. -
Reproduction and diet are two major factors controlling the physiology of aging and life history, but how they interact to affect the evolution of longevity is unknown. Moreover, although studies of large‐effect mutants suggest an important role of nutrient sensing pathways in regulating aging, the genetic basis of evolutionary changes in lifespan remains poorly understood. To address these...
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In: Organisms Diversity & Evolution, 2014, vol. 14, no. 2, p. 163-171
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In: Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 2018, vol. 12, p. -
Some animals are attracted by sun light, others are highly repulsed by it. Especially for slowly moving animals, such as Drosophila larvae, direct sunlight may be perceived as noxious stimulus as it increases the risk of desiccation, DNA-damaging by UV-light and exposure to predators. For several reasons, model organisms like Drosophila larvae are well-suited for investigating how light cues...
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In: Scientific Reports, 2018, vol. 8, no. 1, p. 11272
Organisms use environmental cues for directed navigation. Understanding the basic logic behind navigational decisions critically depends on the complexity of the nervous system. Due to the comparably simple organization of the nervous system of the fruit fly larva, it stands as a powerful model to study decision-making processes that underlie directed navigation. We have quantitatively...
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In: Genetics, 2018, vol. 209, no. 4, p. 1167–1181
Memory formation is achieved by genetically tightly controlled molecular pathways that result in a change of synaptic strength and synapse organization. While for short- term memory traces, rapidly acting biochemical pathways are in place, the formation of long-lasting memories requires changes in the transcriptional program of a cell. Although many genes involved in learning and memory...
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