Logan Lab

Imaging of neuronal-glial interactions in Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies

Lab overview

In the mammalian brain, glial cells far outnumber neuronsDespite their abundance, we know surprisingly little about how glial cells communicate with neurons to regulate proper development and function of the nervous system. One striking and conserved attribute of glia is their ability to sense and respond to changes in neuronal health. Glia react quickly and robustly to neuronal death or damage after mechanical injury or stroke by infiltrating trauma sites and clearing damaged neurons through phagocytic engulfment These glial immune responses are also invoked as neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Parkinson’s Disease (PD), progress over yearsIn the diseased brain, neuronal activity (and neuronal circuitry strength) slowly becomes compromised, which ultimately causes the gradual demise of neurons in the aging brainNotably, in many situations, glial immune responses walk a fine line between being helpful and destructive; although important for minimizing post-traumatic damage, glia may also exacerbate the progression of some long-term neurodegenerative disorders 

Our goal is to elucidate the molecular and cellular pathways that govern neuronal-glial interactions in the healthy and diseased brain.  We use the genetically powerful fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as in vivo system, combined with molecular, genetic, and imaging approaches, to explore how glia detect and respond to damaged, dying, and remodeling neurons. 

Exciting questions we are tackling include: (1) What signals are produced by degenerating neurons? (2) What are the cellular pathways that control glial migration to trauma sites and the phagocytic activity of glial cells? (3)