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Jacob Jaszczak, PhD

Postdoctoral Scholar, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Univeristy of California

Presentation Title: Behavior in the periphery: development of sensory switch in the Drosphila peripheral nervous system

Abstract: Dysfunction of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) profoundly impacts conditions across diverse life stages, such as the tactile-sensitivity of autism spectrum disorders in children (Orefice et al., 2016) or the hot-flashes during perimenopause in adults (Archer et al., 2011). Most research has focused on the role of the central nervous system in behavioral development, and the impact of PNS development has remained understudied. Investigating causal relationships between sensory input, neuronal circuits, and behavioral outputs requires a highly modifiable experimental system. Capturing this breadth in humans is technically and ethically challenging, but discovering the mechanisms of these processes is achievable in a well-defined animal like Drosophila melanogaster. The larval form of this model system exhibits a broad range of dynamic, highly quantifiable behaviors, which we can use to study the impact of the PNS. During Drosophila development, larvae exhibit a change in their behavioral response to different temperatures (Sokabe et al., 2016; Sokolowski, 2001). This thermal sensory switch presents an intriguing context to interrogate mechanisms by which behavior can be altered by PNS sensory regulation. I will discuss my work developing experimental systems and dissecting the mechanism by which the steroid hormone ecdysone regulates a switch in thermal behaviors.