How does a neuron decide when and where to make a synapse?
A study of brain wiring through live observation in Drosophila
Brain wiring occurs with great precision and reproducibility, yet most neurons have the ability to form synapses with incorrect partners. This phenomenon, known as synaptic promiscuity, still leads to precise outcomes, but also ensures flexibility and robustness of development and suggests the presence of developmental mechanisms that ensure correct neuronal connections based on promiscuous synapse formation. The EU-funded SynPromiscuity project is building upon previous work that demonstrated the importance of time, location and interaction kinetics for the specificity of synaptic contacts between neurons. In this project, researchers will assess how genetic and non-genetic factors impact neuronal connections in the developing brain of the fruit fly Drosophila. Results will provide fundamental knowledge on brain development with clinical implications for neurodevelopmental diseases.
More information on ‘Synaptic Promiscuity in Brain Development’ in our 2024 review article of the same title:
Synaptic promiscuity in brain development. Wolterhoff N, Hiesinger PR. Curr Biol. 2024 Feb 5;34(3):R102-R116. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.037. (open access)
Key Publications:
(1) Agi E, Reifenstein ET, Wit C, Schneider T, Kauer M, Kehribar M, Kulkarni A, von Kleist M, Hiesinger PR. (2024) Axonal self-sorting without target guidance in Drosophila visual map formation. Science. 2024 Mar 8;383(6687):1084-1092. doi: 10.1126/science.adk3043. Epub 2024 Mar 7.
(2) Wiring retinotpic axonal projection without target guidance:
Kehribar M, Wit CB, Krasikova K, Agi E, Reifenstein ET, Wolterhoff N, Wriedt LQ, von Kleist M, and Hiesinger PR (2026). Selective adhesion preserves eye patterning as axonal retinotopy in the Drosophila brain (2026). Current Biology, in press, pre-pub online Feb 3, 2026, doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2026.01.007
see also Cell Press Video Abstract on YouTube and the Dispatch on this article in Curr Biol. by I.Salecker
For further information and contact details, visit the Hiesinger Lab and the Research Consortium RobustCircuit.