BIO

My name is Jessa Maglio. I am a second-year student from Naples, Florida majoring in Biology. Science and Healthcare has always been my passion as these fields nurture and cultivate my analytical nature and desire to help people. Currently, I am working as a research assistant on a program funded by the NIH at Florida State University. My research is focused on healthy aging and numerous neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s Disease. I am driven by gaining a greater understanding of the key health challenges facing our communities and working toward their solutions.

Characterization of Arc1 in Age-Dependent Changes in Sweet Taste Preference

Abstract

Deficits in chemosensory processing are associated with healthy aging, as well as numerous neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Understanding the mechanisms that regulate these changes may provide insight into the fundamental dysfunction associated with aging and neurodegeneration. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is a powerful model for studying chemosensation, aging, and neurodegeneration, yet the effects of aging and neurodegeneration on chemosensation remain largely unexplored. Previous work in the lab has revealed that taste perception to sugars (not fats) is reduced with age, which also coincides with changes in neural activity and presynaptic structure in sweet taste neurons. Functional genomics of Drosophila’s taste parts recognized aging-genes, such as Activity-regulated cytoskeleton protein 1 (Arc1). Arc1 is located in the extracellular vesicles and is known for its mRNA binding activity. Here, we investigate the role of Arc1 in Drosophila age-dependent decline in specifically taste preference and synaptic function. We will first manipulate expression of Arc1 in Drosophila sweet-taste neurons and then measure taste preference to different appetitive tastants. We hypothesize that if Arc1 is required for taste preference to sugars, then silencing expression of Arc1 will reduce behavioral responses to sugar. Overall, this research will characterize the candidate gene, Arc1 in regulating age-dependent declines in taste preference to sugars and sets the stage for investigating the mechanisms by which sweet taste neurons change during aging.

Keywords: Chemosensation, Aging, Neurodegeneration, Biology