College of Arts & Sciences

Saranya Madan

College of Arts & Sciences Psychology

Investigating the Role of Hedgehog Signaling Pathway in Neuron-Astrocyte Communication in DROSOPHILA

The Central Nervous System (CNS) controls the activities of the body. Defects in CNS due to disease or injury can lead to major impairments of regular body functions. Neurons are the most well-known brain cell, but could not develop and function without glial cells, a secondary neuronal cell type that includes astrocytes, the focus of our project. Research in the mouse brain demonstrates the role of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway in neuron-astrocyte communication. We used Drosophila (fruit flies) as a model system to address the role of Hh signaling in glia-neuron interactions, as Drosophila are genetically pliable and reproduce quickly. We find that cells do express and respond to Hh signaling in the Drosophila brain at larval stages, but unlike in the mouse, the responsive cells are not astrocytes. Instead, these cells are likely different subtypes of glia, including midline glia. Midline glia are well established to respond to Hh during embryogenesis but have not been studied during larval development. Our study lays the groundwork for future research on the role of midline glia and Hh signaling, particularly parsing differences between mammalian and insect model systems.