RESUMO
The animal central nervous system is composed of neurons and neuroglia (glia). Extensive research on neurons have shown that they are the major cells to transduce signals in mediating neural development and function, and the glial cells mainly play a role in supporting neurons and maintaining their normal function. Nonetheless, emerging evidence has indicated that glial cells exhibit active roles in virtually all aspects of neuronal function and development. Research using the model organism Drosophila melanogaster reveals that glial cells are key players in the regulation of neural development, nutritional metabolism, sleep, longevity, apoptosis, courtship, smell, learning and memory and other physiological behaviors. In this review, we summarize the research progress of glial cells in regulating different physiological activities in Drosophila, in hope of providing insights on the mechanisms and new prospects on future glial research.