Glial influence on expression and localization of the voltage-gated sodium channel Para

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Christian Klämbt
• Subject Area: Developmental Neurobiology
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 558450887

Neurons in our body need to communicate, which is reflected in their morphology. While the dendrites receive information, the axons transmit information to their target area. Information is often encoded by action potentials. These fast and stereotyped changes in axonal membrane potential require the presence of voltage-gated sodium and potassium channels. In a neuron, these ion channels are clustered at the so-called axon initial segment. Interestingly, we have previously shown that in the peripheral nervous system of Drosophila, the expression and positioning of the voltage-gated sodium channel Para at the axon initial segment depends on the presence of wrapping glial cells. In the proposed project we will first decipher the regulatory level at which glial cells instruct the expression of para. Is transcription of para altered in response to glia or is mRNA stability or translation affected? Second, we are determining how Para expression and localization is regulated by glia using advanced genetic screening tools.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants