Browsing by Author "Candia, Noemi"

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    Autocrine/Paracrine Slit-Robo Signaling Controls Optic Lobe Development in Drosophila melanogaster
    (2022) Gonzalez-Ramirez, M. Constanza; Rojo-Cortes, Francisca; Candia, Noemi; Garay-Montecinos, Jorge; Guzman-Palma, Pablo; Campusano, Jorge M. M.; Oliva, Carlos
    Cell segregation mechanisms play essential roles during the development of the central nervous system (CNS) to support its organization into distinct compartments. The Slit protein is a secreted signal, classically considered a paracrine repellent for axonal growth through Robo receptors. However, its function in the compartmentalization of CNS is less explored. In this work, we show that Slit and Robo3 are expressed in the same neuronal population of the Drosophila optic lobe, where they are required for the correct compartmentalization of optic lobe neuropils by the action of an autocrine/paracrine mechanism. We characterize the endocytic route followed by the Slit/Robo3 complex and detected genetic interactions with genes involved in endocytosis and actin dynamics. Thus, we report that the Slit-Robo3 pathway regulates the morphogenesis of the optic lobe through an atypical autocrine/paracrine mechanism in addition to its role in axon guidance, and in association with proteins of the endocytic pathway and small GTPases.
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    Early-life nutrition interacts with developmental genes to shape the brain and sleep behavior in Drosophila melanogaster
    (2023) Olivares, Gonzalo H.; Nunez-Villegas, Franco; Candia, Noemi; Orostica, Karen; Gonzalez-Ramirez, M. Constanza; Vega-Macaya, Franco; Zuniga, Nolberto; Molina, Cristian; Oliva, Carlos; Mackay, Trudy F. C.; Verdugo, Ricardo A.; Olguin, Patricio
    The mechanisms by which the genotype interacts with nutrition during development to contribute to the variation of complex behaviors and brain morphology of adults are not well understood. Here we use the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel to identify genes and pathways underlying these interactions in sleep behavior and mushroom body morphology. We show that early-life nutritional restriction effects on sleep behavior and brain morphology depends on the genotype. We mapped genes associated with sleep sensitivity to early-life nutrition, which were enriched for protein-protein interactions responsible for translation, endocytosis regulation, ubiquitination, lipid metabolism, and neural development. By manipulating the expression of candidate genes in the mushroom bodies (MBs) and all neurons, we confirm that genes regulating neural development, translation and insulin signaling contribute to the variable response of sleep and brain morphology to early-life nutrition. We show that the interaction between differential expression of candidate genes with nutritional restriction in early life resides in the MBs or other neurons and that these effects are sex-specific. Natural variations in genes that control the systemic response to nutrition and brain development and function interact with early-life nutrition in different types of neurons to contribute to the variation of brain morphology and adult sleep behavior.