# Engrailed and the control of synaptic circuits in adult Drosophila

> **NIH NIH SC3** · UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO MED SCIENCES · 2020 · $112,500

## Abstract

Abstract
Engrailed (En) is a transcription factor; a protein that binds to DNA and that switches on or off other genes. It
was first discovered in Drosophila but later found to be present in all animals, where it plays an important role
in controlling the development of neurons, or nerve cells. The long-term goal of this research is to find out how
En controls the way that nerve cells connect to each other (form synapses) within the brain, with a particular
focus on identifying and characterizing the network of genes and molecules that it regulates. This proposal
uses the Drosophila auditory neuron – to – giant fiber (GF) synapse as a model system with which to
investigate the role of En in the control of synaptic connections. The first specific aim will be to use
electrophysiology and anatomical staining techniques to measure how auditory neuron action potentials and
output synapses to the GF change as the animal ages, and to determine whether there are sex-specific
differences. The second specific aim will be to study the effects of changing the amounts of En present in the
neurons in the adult animal. As in mammalian neurons, En expression in Drosophila auditory neurons persists
through adult life, but its functions during this period are not understood. It could perhaps maintain their
electrical properties or the patterns of their synaptic connections. To test this, genetic methods will be used to
add or take away En from the sensory neurons at different times.
This work is relevant to public health because human En has been linked to several brain disorders, such as
Parkinson’s disease and autism. Drosophila models are particularly useful for the discovery of molecular
pathways that are directly relevant to humans, because most of these pathways have been conserved during
evolution. All animals have En protein, so it is very likely that any molecules that are regulated by it during the
process of synapse formation in Drosophila have their counterparts in humans, playing similar roles in brain
development.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9922928
- **Project number:** 5SC3GM121190-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO MED SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** JONATHAN M BLAGBURN
- **Activity code:** SC3 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $112,500
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-05-01 → 2022-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9922928

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9922928, Engrailed and the control of synaptic circuits in adult Drosophila (5SC3GM121190-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9922928. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*