Calcineurin and associated signals gate multiple forms of synaptic homeostasis

Specialized brain cells called neurons encode information and form networks by which they communicate complex information with each other and the rest of the body. Numerous neurological disorders including forms of epilepsy and migraine result from unstable neuronal function. Neurons can avoid unstable function by increasing or decreasing their output to stay within an optimal range of activity. Understanding the signaling components that underly this system will help us to better understand how neurons detect instability and initiate signaling systems to change their output.

Using a simple genetic model system, we measured the electrical activity in muscles of fruit flies. This thesis describes new roles for multiple genes from different cell types in maintaining neuronal stability. These genes encode proteins that are required for signaling systems in different tissues at different time points. These proteins are needed to trigger a precise response that returns neuronal function back to within the normal range of activity. The data in this thesis provide new insights for how brain cells modulate their activity. This will help future work unravel molecular signaling that may be key to treating various neurological disorders.