Paul H. Taghert (born January 13, 1953) is an American chronobiologist known for pioneering research on the roles and regulation of neuropeptide signaling in the brain using Drosophila melanogaster as a model.
[3] Two distinct regions, the small and large ventral lateral neurons (LNv), express the neuropeptide pigment dispersing factor (PDF) and contribute to circadian locomotor activity rhythms.
[8] Through a developmental studies approach, his work explores how peptidergic neurons in Drosophila use transcriptional control mechanisms to acquire properties like the selection of a unique neuropeptide phenotype.
[9] The bHLH protein DIMM is an example of a transcriptional control mechanism that operates in neurosecretory neurons and is responsible for the cells’ ability to accumulate, process, and package large amounts of secretory peptides.
[9] To map DIMM expression in Drosophila peptidergic systems, a large panel of peptide antibodies and gene reporters were used.