title: Drosophila neural progenitor polarity and asymmetric division.
abstract: In the Drosophila embryonic central nervous system, the neural precursor cells called neuroblasts undergo a number of asymmetric divisions along the apical-basal axis to give rise to different daughter cells of distinct fates. This review summarizes recent progress in understanding the mechanisms of these asymmetric cell divisions. We discuss proteins that are localized at distinct domains of cortex in the neuroblasts and their role in generating asymmetry. We also review uniformly cortical localized factors and actin cytoskeleton-associated motor proteins with regard to their potential role to serve as a link between distinct cortical domains in the neuroblasts. In this review, asymmetric divisions of sensory organ precursor and larval neuroblasts are also briefly discussed.
authors.affiliation: Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, The National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604.
authors.forename: Hongyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology*; D004330:Drosophila / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004475:Ectoderm / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000502:physiology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins