9421438 Schacher During the process of development in the neuromuscular system, elaborate connections are made that, as maturation proceeds, are decreased in number and refined. The mechanisms that control the elimination of some connections, while maintaining others, are only poorly understood. In this research, a novel method of investigating these mechanisms will be performed. Cells from both the developing nervous and muscular systems of an invertebrate will be grown in culture and the levels of a cellular adhesion molecule, thought to be involved in the elimination of connections, will be modulated. If a decrease in level of the molecule affects the stability of connections between neurons and muscle cells, that will provide direct evidence of its involvement in this process and, further, provide fundamental insight into the mechanisms that control neuromuscular development.
