Neurons extend and retract dynamically their neurites during development to form complex morphologies and to reach out to their appropriate synaptic partners. Their capacity to undergo structural rearrangements is in part maintained during adult life when it supports the animal's ability to adapt to a changing environment or to form lasting memories. Nonetheless, the signals triggering structural plasticity and the mechanisms that support it are not yet fully understood at the molecular level. Here, we focus on the nervous system of the fruit fly to ask to which extent activity modulates neuronal morphology and connectivity during development. Further, we summarize the evidence indicating that the adult nervous system of flies retains some capacity for structural plasticity at the synaptic or circuit level. For simplicity, we selected examples mostly derived from studies on the visual system and on the mushroom body, two regions of the fly brain with extensively studied neuroanatomy.

中文翻译：

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果蝇神经系统可塑性的结构方面。

神经元在发育过程中会动态地伸展和收缩其神经突，以形成复杂的形态并伸向其适当的突触伴侣。当它们支持动物适应不断变化的环境或形成持久记忆的能力时，它们在成年后就可以部分地保持它们进行结构重排的能力。然而，在分子水平上尚未完全理解触发结构可塑性的信号及其支持机理。在这里，我们重点研究果蝇的神经系统，以询问活动在发育过程中调节神经元形态和连通性的程度。此外，我们总结了证据，表明蝇的成年神经系统在突触或回路水平上保留了一些结构可塑性的能力。为简单起见，