THE DROSOPHILA NEUROMUSCULAR-JUNCTION - A MODEL SYSTEM FOR STUDYING SYNAPTIC DEVELOPMENT AND FUNCTION

The Drosophila neuromuscular junction has attracted widespread attenti on as an excellent model system for studying the cellular and molecula r mechanisms of synaptic development and neurotransmission. In Drosoph ila the advantages of invertebrate small systems, where individual cel ls can be examined with single-cell resolution, are combined with the powerful techniques of patch-clamp analysis and molecular genetics. In this review we examine myogenesis and motoneuron development, the pro blems of axon outgrowth and target selection, the differentiation of t he synapse, and the mechanisms of both synaptic function and plasticit y in this model genetic system.