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MSc Exit Seminar – Wednesday, December 13, 2017 – Gordana Scepanovic
December 13, 2017 @ 9:10 am - 9:30 pm
MSc Exit Seminar
Wednesday, December 13th, 9:10am –University of Toronto at Mississauga – CC-2150
Gordana Scepanovic (Stewart lab)
“Analysis of Drosophila Nervous System Development Following a Brief Exposure to Ethanol”
Abstract
Improper neuronal mapping predisposes many of the neurodevelopmental deficits that arise in patients of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Here I used Drosophila embryos as a model to investigate the neuronal defects that arise after exposure to ethanol. Drosophila is an excellent model for studying the mechanisms underlying FASD due to their vulnerability to the toxic effects of alcohol and the ease of manipulating their development. Using this model, I was able to provide detailed morphological analyses of the effects of a brief ethanol exposure on Drosophila neural development. I also examined the mechanisms that may regulate the FASD phenotype, specifically the serum response factor (SRF) signaling pathway. SRF signaling regulates numerous functions in the nervous system, including neuronal growth and migration. Through SRF manipulation in Drosophila, I was able to show that SRF is necessary for proper Drosophila axonogenesis, and that it may contribute to the FASD phenotype.