In the central nervous system (CNS), functional tasks are often allocated to distinct
compartments. This is also evident in the Drosophila CNS where synapses and dendrites …

Synaptic connections are established with characteristic, cell type–specific size and spacing.
In this study, we document a role for the postsynaptic Spectrin skeleton in this process. We …

The spectrin membrane skeleton is a ubiquitous cytoskeletal structure with several cellular
roles, including the maintenance of cell integrity, determination of cell shape and as a …

Changes in cell shape and position drive morphogenesis in epithelia and depend on the
polarized nature of its constituent cells. The spectrin-based membrane skeleton is thought to …

The components of the membrane skeleton play an important role in maintaining membrane
structure during the dynamic changes in cell shape that characterize development. βHeavy …

Spectrins are plasma membrane-associated cytoskeletal proteins implicated in several
aspects of synaptic development and function, including presynaptic vesicle tethering and …

Current models of cell polarity invoke asymmetric cues that reorganize the secretory
apparatus to induce polarized protein delivery. An important step in this process is the …

Perineuronal nets (PNNs) are densely packed extracellular matrices that cover the cell body
of fast-spiking inhibitory neurons. PNNs stabilize synapses inhibiting synaptic plasticity …

A shared feature of many neural circuits is their organization into synaptic layers. However,
the mechanisms that direct neurites to distinct layers remain poorly understood. We …

How neurons form synapses within specific layers remains poorly understood. In the
Drosophila medulla, neurons target to discrete layers in a precise fashion. Here we …