title: Glial development in the Drosophila CNS requires concomitant activation of glial and repression of neuronal differentiation genes.
abstract: Two classes of glial cells are found in the embryonic Drosophila CNS, midline glial cells and lateral glial cells. Midline glial development is triggered by EGF-receptor signalling, whereas lateral glial development is controlled by the gcm gene. Subsequent glial cell differentiation depends partly on the pointed gene. Here we describe a novel component required for all CNS glia development. The tramtrack gene encodes two zinc-finger proteins, one of which, ttkp69, is expressed in all non-neuronal CNS cells. We show that ttkp69 is downstream of gcm and can repress neuronal differentiation. Double mutant analysis and coexpression experiments indicate that glial cell differentiation may depend on a dual process, requiring the activation of glial differentiation by pointed and the concomitant repression of neuronal development by tramtrack.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Entwicklungsbiologie, Universität zu Köln, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Giesen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hummel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stollewerk
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Travers
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Klämbt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000196:embryology* / Q000254:growth & development; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000502:physiology; D004627:Embryonic Induction; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D009154:Mutation; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000502:physiology; D010641:Phenotype; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000502:physiology; D014157:Transcription Factors
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C102805:GCM protein, Drosophila; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors; C083884:pnt protein, Drosophila; C075878:ttk protein, Drosophila