Precocious expression of the Glide/Gcm glial-promoting factor in Drosophila induces neurogenesis.
Neurons and glial cells depend on similar developmental pathways and often originate from common precursors; however, the differentiation of one or the other cell type depends on the activation of cell-specific pathways. In Drosophila, the differentiation of glial cells depends on a transcription factor, Glide/Gcm. This glial-promoting factor is both necessary and sufficient to induce the central and peripheral glial fates at the expense of the neuronal fate. In a screen for mutations affecting the adult peripheral nervous system, we have found a dominant mutation inducing supernumerary sensory organs. Surprisingly, this mutation is allelic to glide/gcm and induces precocious glide/gcm expression, which, in turn, activates the proneural genes. As a consequence, sensory organs are induced. Thus, temporal misregulation of the Glide/Gcm glial-promoting factor reveals a novel potential for this cell fate determinant. At the molecular level, this implies unpredicted features of the glide/gcm pathway. These findings also emphasize the requirement for both spatial and temporal glide/gcm regulation to achieve proper cell specification within the nervous system.
Van De Bor
Véronique
V
Institut de Génétique et Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire IGBMC/CNRS/ULP/INSERM-BP 163 67404 Illkirch, c.u. de Strasbourg, France.
Heitzler
Pascal
P
Leger
Sophie
S
Plessy
Charles
C
Giangrande
Angela
A
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017933:Peripheral Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C102805:GCM protein, Drosophila; D009479:Neuropeptides; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors