Pruning that selectively eliminates unnecessary axons/dendrites is crucial for sculpting the nervous system during development. During Drosophila metamorphosis, dendrite arborization neurons, ddaCs, selectively prune their larval dendrites in response to the steroid hormone ecdysone, whereas mushroom body γ neurons specifically eliminate their axon branches within dorsal and medial lobes. Howev...

Mutations in cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5), also known as serine/threonine kinase 9 (STK9), have been identified in patients with Rett syndrome (RTT) and X-linked infantile spasm. However, the function of CDKL5 in the brain remains unknown. Here, we report that CDKL5 is a critical regulator of neuronal morphogenesis. We identified a neuron-specific splicing variant of CDKL5 whose expre...

Methamidophos is a toxic organophosphorus compound that inhibits acetlycholinesterase activity, and induces neurotoxicity. It is a synthetic chemical commonly used as pesticides to limit pest damages to cultivated plants. Currently, there is serious public health concern over its safety and use due to its global nature, persistence and bioaccumulations. We have previously reported that methamid...

Vertebrate and invertebrate dendrites are information-processing compartments that can be found on both central and peripheral neurons. Elucidating the molecular underpinnings of information processing in the nervous system ultimately requires an understanding of the genetic pathways that regulate dendrite formation and maintenance. Despite the importance of dendrite development, few forward ge...

The establishment, maintenance and modulation of cell-type specific neural architectures is critically important to the formation of functional neural networks. At the neuroanatomical level, differential patterns of dendritic arborization directly impact neural function and connectivity, however the molecular mechanisms underlying the specification of distinct dendrite morphologies remains inco...

A complex array of genetic factors regulates neuronal dendrite morphology. Epigenetic regulation of gene expression represents a plausible mechanism to control pathways responsible for specific dendritic arbor shapes. By studying the Drosophila dendritic arborization (da) neurons, we discovered a role of the double-bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) family proteins in regulating dendrite arbor...

Members of the Wnt signaling family are important mediators of numerous developmental events, including activity-dependent dendrite development, but the pathways regulating expression and secretion of Wnt in response to neuronal activity are poorly defined. Here, we identify an NMDA receptor-mediated, Ca2+-dependent signaling pathway that couples neuronal activity to dendritic arborization thro...