title: Molecular markers for identified neuroblasts and ganglion mother cells in the Drosophila central nervous system.
abstract: The first step in generating cellular diversity in the Drosophila central nervous system is the formation of a segmentally reiterated array of neural precursor cells, called neuroblasts. Subsequently, each neuroblast goes through an invariant cell lineage to generate neurons and/or glia. Using molecular lineage markers, I show that (1) each neuroblast forms at a stereotyped time and position; (2) the neuroblast pattern is indistinguishable between thoracic and abdominal segments; (3) the development of individual neuroblasts can be followed throughout early neurogenesis; (4) gene expression in a neuroblast can be reproducibly modulated during its cell lineage; (5) identified ganglion mother cells form at stereotyped times and positions; and (6) the cell lineage of four well-characterized neurons can be traced back to two identified neuroblasts. These results set the stage for investigating neuroblast specification and the mechanisms controlling neuroblast cell lineages.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Structural Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801.
authors.forename: C Q
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Doe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000196:embryology*; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics; D005724:Ganglia / Q000502:physiology*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D005819:Genetic Markers; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers