# Mechanisms that underlie cross-modal sensory plasticity

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2020 · $328,633

## Abstract

Sensory experiences during development profoundly influence sensory processing in mature animals. Since
most of an animal’s sensory experiences are multimodal, the activity of one sensory modality often causes
long-term changes in another modality. Such cross-modal plasticity not only leads to compensation for
sensory functions in the case of sensory deprivation, but also allows normal individuals to respond properly
to sensory stimuli in their unique habitats or situations and contributes to individual’s differences in the
perception of multisensory cues. Despite the importance of cross-modal plasticity, the underlying circuit and
molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. In the proposed research, a novel form of cross-modal
plasticity has been discovered in Drosophila and developed into a system for studying the underlying
mechanisms at the behavioral, circuit, synaptic, and molecular levels. This system allows for comparison of
cross-modal and modality-specific plasticity in the same sensory system. A genetic screen has identified
novel regulators of cross-modal plasticity. The objective of the proposed research is to identify the
mechanisms that underlie cross-modal plasticity in the developing somatosensory system of Drosophila
larvae, and provide circuit and molecular models for guiding future studies in other species. The central
hypothesis is that gentle mechanosensory inputs during development strengthen serotonergic inhibition of
the synaptic transmission from nociceptors to multisensory second-order neurons (MSONs), which is
achieved through specific genes in the MSONs. This hypothesis will be tested by identifying the circuit (Aim
1) and molecular (Aim 2) mechanisms that underlie cross-modal plasticity. The proposed research is
innovative because it proposes the novel concept of distinct mechanisms that underlie cross-modal and
modality-specific plasticity and will use a novel system that is amenable to the use of genetic screens to
study cross-modal plasticity. This research is significant because it is expected to: 1) elucidate how cross-
modal and modality-specific plasticity co-exist in a developing sensory system and demonstrate the role of
neuromodulatory interneurons in establishing cross-modal plasticity during development; 2) identify a novel
molecular mechanism that underlies cross-modal plasticity, particularly one that distinguishes it from
modality-specific plasticity within the same neural circuit; 3) yield a multidisciplinary, state-of-the-art
experimental system for identifying the principles that govern the experience--dependent assembly of neural
circuits for multisensory integration. Moreover, because a common problem of many neurodevelopmental
disorders is dysregulated multisensory integration, the proposed study will offer insights into the
pathogenesis of these disorders.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9972968
- **Project number:** 5R01NS104299-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** BING YE
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $328,633
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-08-15 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9972968

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9972968, Mechanisms that underlie cross-modal sensory plasticity (5R01NS104299-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9972968. Licensed CC0.

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