Hierarchical deployment of factors regulating temporal fate in a diverse neuronal lineage of the Drosophila central brain

Neuron. 2012 Feb 23;73(4):677-84. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.12.018.

Abstract

The anterodorsal projection neuron lineage of Drosophila melanogaster produces 40 neuronal types in a stereotypic order. Here we take advantage of this complete lineage sequence to examine the role of known temporal fating factors, including Chinmo and the Hb/Kr/Pdm/Cas transcriptional cascade, within this diverse central brain lineage. Kr mutation affects the temporal fate of the neuroblast (NB) itself, causing a single fate to be skipped, whereas Chinmo null only elicits fate transformation of NB progeny without altering cell counts. Notably, Chinmo operates in two separate windows to prevent fate transformation (into the subsequent Chinmo-indenpendent fate) within each window. By contrast, Hb/Pdm/Cas play no detectable role, indicating that Kr either acts outside of the cascade identified in the ventral nerve cord or that redundancy exists at the level of fating factors. Therefore, hierarchical fating mechanisms operate within the lineage to generate neuronal diversity in an unprecedented fashion.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified
  • Body Patterning
  • Brain / cytology*
  • Cell Lineage / genetics
  • Cell Lineage / physiology*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Drosophila Proteins / genetics
  • Drosophila Proteins / metabolism*
  • Drosophila melanogaster / cytology*
  • Drosophila melanogaster / embryology
  • Drosophila melanogaster / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / physiology*
  • Homeodomain Proteins / genetics
  • Homeodomain Proteins / metabolism
  • Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Mutation / genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
  • Neurons / physiology*
  • POU Domain Factors / genetics
  • POU Domain Factors / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Signal Transduction / physiology
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • Chinmo protein, Drosophila
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Drosophila Proteins
  • Homeodomain Proteins
  • Kr protein, Drosophila
  • Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • POU Domain Factors
  • Transcription Factors
  • cas protein, Drosophila
  • nub protein, Drosophila