A New Model System for Studying Developmental Neuronal Remodeling and Its Relation to Behavior in Drosophila

A New Model System for Studying Developmental Neuronal Remodeling and Its Relation to Behavior in Drosophila | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article A New Model System for Studying Developmental Neuronal Remodeling and Its Relation to Behavior in Drosophila Moshe Parnas, Shai Israel This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7337177/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 22 Dec, 2025 Read the published version in Communications Biology → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Neuronal remodeling is essential for precise formation of mature nervous systems. Drosophila serves to study neuronal remodeling, however, existing experimental systems are insufficient for examining circuit level neuronal remodeling and its effect on behavior. We present a new model system to investigate neuronal remodeling. We show that the Moonwalker SEZ neuron, which elicits backward walking in adult flies, is part of a conserved circuit persisting from larva to adult. Utilizing the system, we examine developmental neuronal remodeling, describe a gene-regulatory mechanism controlling outgrowth, and uncover a causal relation between remodeling and behavior. The well-characterized connectivity of the circuit, low number of elements, direct control of the motor output, and availability of specific driver lines, provide an appealing system to study developmental remodeling of neuronal circuits and its impact on behavior. Hence, we establish a new model system in Drosophila to investigate neural circuit remodeling and its relation to behavior. Biological sciences/Neuroscience/Development of the nervous system/Neuronal development Biological sciences/Neuroscience/Neural circuits Developmental neuroscience Drosophila metamorphosis neural circuits neuronal remodeling motor control backward locomotion MooSEZs MDNs ecdysone Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files supp0810.pdf Supplementary Material S3.mp4 Supplemental Material File #3 S2.mp4 Supplemental Material File #2 S1.mp4 Supplemental Material File #1 S5.mp4 Supplemental Material File #5 S4.mp4 Supplemental Material File #4 nrreportingsummary.pdf Reporting Summary Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 22 Dec, 2025 Read the published version in Communications Biology → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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