Sufficient energy supply decisive for nerve development

Microscopic measurement of ATP consumption in two different Drosophila neurons over time ( from left ). Red symbolises a high, green a low ATP concentration. WWU - AG Sebastian Rumpf The bodies of animals and humans are innervated by a network of nerve cells which are connected through long extensions. The nerve cells use these so-called axons and dendrites to communicate with one another. During early development, nerve cells grow a large number of axons and dendrites. To make the connections specific, redundant extensions are removed at a later stage in a process called "pruning". Using the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a model, an interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Münster asked whether energy (in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)) is needed for pruning, which takes place in the flies during metamorphosis.