Mechanism of Notch Pathway Activation and Its Role in the Regulation of Olfactory Plasticity in Drosophila melanogaster.

ABSTRACT: The neural plasticity of sensory systems is being increasingly recognized as playing a role in learning and memory. We have previously shown that Notch, part of an evolutionarily conserved intercellular signaling pathway, is required in adult Drosophila melanogaster olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) for the structural and functional plasticity of olfactory glomeruli that is induced by chronic odor exposure. In this paper we address how long-term exposure to odor activates Notch and how Notch in conjunction with chronic odor mediates olfactory plasticity. We show that upon chronic odor exposure a non-canonical Notch pathway mediates an increase in the volume of glomeruli by a mechanism that is autonomous to ORNs. In addition to activating a pathway that is autonomous to ORNs, chronic odor e

SUBMITTER: Kidd S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4795742 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature