Broadie K S
Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
J Physiol Paris. 1994;88(2):123-39. doi: 10.1016/0928-4257(94)90023-x.
Drosophila is one of the most fully described eukaryotic organisms and, as a system, offers the most advanced genetic and molecular techniques. In particular, Drosophila embryonic development has been subject to intensive genetic and molecular examination. Drosophila is also one of the few genetically malleable organisms to permit electrophysiological investigation and so allow detailed physiological characterization of specific molecular lesions. These two fields, the developmental and electrophysiological, are being coupled for the first time to examine a key aspect of neural development, synaptogenesis. Here, I describe synaptogenesis in the Drosophila embryo at the identified neuromuscular junction. I focus particular attention on the use of known genetic mutations to dissect the mechanisms of synapse formation. This simple, well-characterized synapse is already proving valuable in describing the defects of mutations in genes essential for synaptic development and function. In the long term, this system will allow us to systematically mutate the Drosophila genome to identify and describe the genetic and molecular pathways directing the construction of a synapse.
果蝇是描述最为详尽的真核生物之一，作为一个研究体系，它拥有最先进的遗传和分子技术。特别是，果蝇胚胎发育已经接受了深入的遗传和分子研究。果蝇也是少数几个基因可塑性强、可进行电生理研究从而能够对特定分子损伤进行详细生理特征描述的生物之一。发育生物学和电生理学这两个领域首次结合起来，以研究神经发育的一个关键方面——突触形成。在这里，我描述了果蝇胚胎中已确定的神经肌肉接头处的突触形成。我特别关注利用已知的基因突变来剖析突触形成的机制。这个简单且特征明确的突触在描述对突触发育和功能至关重要的基因突变缺陷方面已经证明是有价值的。从长远来看，这个系统将使我们能够系统地突变果蝇基因组，以识别和描述指导突触构建的遗传和分子途径。
