Learning-dependent plasticity of the Drosophila mushroom body: An optophysiological approach

by Stephan Hubertus Deimel
Cumulative thesis
Date of Examination:2024-04-08
Date of issue:2024-07-29
Advisor:Prof. Dr. André Fiala
Referee:Prof. Dr. André Fiala
Referee:Prof. Dr. Silvio Rizzoli
Persistent Address: http://dx.doi.org/10.53846/goediss-10629

 

 

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Abstract

English

Functional changes in the neuronal network of our brain enable experience-dependent adaptations to the environment through our behavior, referred to as learning and memory. One fundamental topic has occupied the neurosciences from the very beginning: understanding the mechanism of memory formation and its localization in the brain. Synaptic plasticity emerges as a key mechanism in this process, whereby neurons within a circuit adjust their connectivity to enable memory formation. Given that a single neuron can interact with multiple synaptic partners, mechanisms must regulate synaptic plasticity to individual subcellular segments to facilitate the formation of complex circuits. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the localization of synaptic plasticity and elucidate the underlying mechanisms for subcellular confinement. Focusing primarily on learning-dependent plasticity, the Drosophila mushroom body serves as an accessible model due to its central role in olfactory learning. Throughout this work, comprehensive and novel optophysiological approaches, such as functional in-vivo cAMP imaging with single cell resolution, were used across various research topics to investigate synaptic plasticity during learning and memory. The thesis addresses a wide range of projects, each covering different behavioral implications within the context of learning-dependent plasticity. Central to these investigations is the role of the second messenger cAMP, which plays a crucial part in regulating plasticity and is restricted by the phosphodiesterase Dunce. The main part of this work focuses on the investigation of the intracellular confinement of cAMP signaling by Dunce as a mechanism of subcellular compartmentalization. The findings reveal that the phosphodiesterase Dunce serves as a key regulator of the compartmentalization of subcellular cAMP signals, offering valuable insights into subcellular segments as independent units in learning and memory. Based on this, future studies can be designed to investigate the relation of confined cAMP dynamics and synaptic plasticity and thus contribute to the understanding of memory formation and localization.
Keywords: Drosophila; Mushroom body; Synaptic plasticity; Learning and memory; Optogenetics; Olfactory learning
 
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