 dNF1, like its human counterpart, is mainly expressed in the developing and adult nervous system and primarily controls the MAPK RAS/ERK signaling pathway.Through the use of several mutant "null" alleles of dNF1 that have been generated, its role has been progressively elucidated.dNF1 functions to regulate organism growth and whole-body size, synaptic growth, neuromuscular junction function, circadian clock and rhythmic behaviors, mitochondrial function, and associative learning and long-term memory.