Mustafa Talay

Harvard University | Harvard · Department of Molecular and Cell Biology

Transsynaptic tracing methods are crucial tools in studying neural circuits. Although a couple of anterograde tracing methods and a targeted retrograde tool have been developed in Drosophila melanogaster, there is still need for an unbiased, user-friendly, and flexible retrograde tracing system. Here we describe retro-Tango, a method for transsynap...

Deciphering the connectome, the ensemble of synaptic connections that underlie brain function, is a central goal of neuroscience research. Here, we report mapping of connections between presynaptic and postsynaptic partners in a living vertebrate nervous system, that of the zebrafish, through the successful adaptation of the trans -Tango genetic ap...

Transsynaptic tracing methods are crucial tools in studying neural circuits. Although a couple of anterograde tracing methods and a targeted retrograde tool have been developed in Drosophila melanogaster , there is still need for an unbiased, user-friendly, and flexible retrograde tracing system. Here we describe retro -Tango, a method for transsyn...

Understanding how neural circuits underlie behaviour is challenging even in the connectome era because it requires a combination of anatomical and functional analyses. This is exemplified in the circuit underlying the light avoidance behaviour displayed by Drosophila melanogaster larvae. While this behaviour is robust and the nervous system relativ...

Sweet and bitter compounds excite different sensory cells and drive opposing behaviors. However, it remains unclear how sweet and bitter tastes are represented by the neural circuits linking sensation to behavior. To investigate this question in Drosophila, we devised trans-Tango(activity), a strategy for calcium imaging of second-order gustatory p...

Understanding how neural circuits underlie behaviour is challenging even in the era of the connectome because it requires a combined approach encompassing anatomical and functional analyses. This is exemplified in studying the circuit underlying the light-avoidance behaviour displayed by the larvae of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster . While t...

Olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) are functionally defined by their expression of a unique odorant receptor (OR). Mechanisms underlying singular OR expression are well studied, and involve a massive cross-chromosomal enhancer interaction network. Trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs) form a distinct family of olfactory receptors, and here we find...

The mushroom body (MB) is a well-characterized associative memory structure within the Drosophila brain. Analyzing MB connectivity using multiple approaches is critical for understanding the functional implications of this structure. Using the genetic anterograde transsynaptic tracing tool, trans- Tango, we identified divergent projections across t...

Sweet and bitter compounds excite different sensory cells and drive opposing behaviors. It is commonly thought that the neural circuits linking taste sensation to behavior conform to a labeled-line architecture, but in Drosophila , evidence for labeled lines beyond first-order neurons is lacking. To address this, we devised trans- Tango(activity),...

The Mushroom Body (MB) is a well-characterized associative memory structure within the Drosophila brain. Although previous studies have analyzed MB connectivity and provided a map of inputs and outputs, a detailed map of the downstream targets is missing. Using the genetic anterograde transsynaptic tracing tool, trans- Tango, we identified divergen...

Olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) are functionally defined by their expression of a unique odorant receptor (OR). Mechanisms underlying singular OR expression are well studied, and involve a massive cross-chromosomal enhancer interaction network. Trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs) form a distinct family of olfactory receptors, and here we find...

A powerful feature of adaptive memory is its inherent flexibility. Alcohol and other addictive substances can remold neural circuits important for memory to reduce this flexibility. However, the mechanism through which pertinent circuits are selected and shaped remains unclear. We show that circuits required for alcohol-associated preference shift...

A powerful feature of adaptive memory is its inherent flexibility. Alcohol and other addictive substances can remold neural circuits important for memory to reduce this flexibility. However, the mechanism through which pertinent circuits are selected and shaped remains unclear. We show that circuits required for alcohol-associated preference shift...

A powerful feature of adaptive memory is its inherent flexibility. Alcohol and other addictive substances can remold neural circuits important for memory to reduce this flexibility. However, the mechanism through which pertinent circuits are selected and shaped remains unclear. We show that circuits required for alcohol-associated preference shift...

Substance use disorders are chronic relapsing disorders often impelled by enduring memories and persistent cravings. Alcohol, as well as other addictive substances, remolds neural circuits important for memory to establish obstinate preference despite aversive consequences. How pertinent circuits are selected and shaped to result in these unchangin...

Mapping neural circuits across defined synapses is essential for understanding brain function. Here we describe trans-Tango, a technique for anterograde transsynaptic circuit tracing and manipulation. At the core of trans-Tango is a synthetic signaling pathway that is introduced into all neurons in the animal. This pathway converts receptor activat...