# Cross-neuronal Structural Plasticity in Drosophila Motor Circuits

> **NIH NS R01** · TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY · 2026 · $500,307

## Abstract

Project Summary
Damage to the nervous system results in the death of many neurons, leading to adverse outcomes such as
locomotor and cognitive defects. Neural injuries may induce neuroplasticity responses in surviving neurons,
where they extend their axons and dendrites and form new connections (undergo rewiring) to cope with the
loss of their neighboring neurons. Neural circuits are composed of different neuronal types, each with unique
intrinsic properties such as neural firing patterns, neurotransmitter identity, and synapses of different types and
sizes. Whether different neuron and synapse types are equally capable of undergoing structural plasticity
remains unclear. Furthermore, the role of non-neuronal cells (such as glia and muscles), intercellular signaling
pathways, and cross-talk between neurons, glia, and muscles during the plasticity response are still under
investigation. Addressing these knowledge gaps will help optimize therapeutic strategies, thereby maximizing
the chance of the restoration of circuit function after neural injury. The objective of this proposal is to address
these problems using the motor circuits underlying locomotion in Drosophila larvae. Two types of motor
neurons (MNs) form neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) with larval body wall muscles: tonic-firing MNs with large
NMJs and phasic firing MNs with small NMJs. These MNs receive input from excitatory and inhibitory premotor
neurons (PMNs). In addition, different subtypes of glial cells in Drosophila are functionally and morphologically
comparable to those found in vertebrates. The rich genetic toolkits in larvae provide an unprecedented
opportunity to determine how PMN-MN-muscle circuits rewire in response to the death (or inactivation) of PMN
and MN subsets and determine the role of glial and denervated muscles in mediating proper circuit rewiring.
For the first time, strong preliminary data provided in this proposal demonstrate that in response to the death of
MN subsets, the motor 

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11298559
- **Project number:** 1R01NS142268-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Aref  Arzan Zarin
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NS
- **Fiscal year:** 2026
- **Award amount:** $500,307
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2026-04-01T00:00:00 → 2031-02-28T00:00:00

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11298559

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11298559, Cross-neuronal Structural Plasticity in Drosophila Motor Circuits (1R01NS142268-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-07-09 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11298559. Licensed CC0.

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