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Updated: Nov 8, 2025

Author Spotlight: Deciphering Neural Circuit Formation from Two-Photon Microscopy and Single Neuron Imaging
Published on: November 21, 2023
Building a circuit through correlated spontaneous neuronal activity in the developing vertebrate and invertebrate
Ben Jiwon Choi1, Yu-Chieh David Chen1, Claude Desplan1
1Department of Biology, New York University, New York, New York 10003, USA.
Abstract:
During the development of the vertebrate nervous systems, genetic programs assemble an immature circuit that is subsequently refined by neuronal activity evoked by external stimuli. However, prior to sensory experience, the intrinsic property of the developing nervous system also triggers correlated network-level neuronal activity, with retinal waves in the developing vertebrate retina being the best documented example. Spontaneous activity has also been found in the visual system of Drosophila Here, we compare the spontaneous activity of the developing visual system between mammalian and Drosophila and suggest that Drosophila is an emerging model for mechanistic and functional studies of correlated spontaneous activity.
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