A mis-expression study of factors affecting Drosophila PNS cell identity.
Drosophila PNS sense organs arise from single sensory organ precursor (SOP) cells through a series of asymmetric divisions. In a mis-expression screen for factors affecting PNS development, we identified string and dappled as being important for the proper formation of adult external sensory (ES) organs. string is a G2 regulator. dappled has no described function but is implicated in tumorigenesis. The mis-expression effect from string was analysed using timed over expression during adult ES-organ and, for comparison, embryonic Chordotonal (Ch) organ formation. Surprisingly, string mis-expression prior to SOP division gave the greatest effect in both systems. In adult ES-organs, this lead to cell fate transformations producing structural cells, whilst in the embryo organs were lost, hence differences within the lineages exist. Mis-expression of dappled, lead to loss and duplications of entire organs in both systems, potentially affecting SOP specification, in addition to affecting neuronal guidance.
O'Farrell
Fergal
F
Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institute, Novum 141 86, Huddinge, Sweden; Life sciences, Södertörns Högskola, 141 89, Huddinge, Sweden.
Kylsten
Per
P
D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000235:genetics; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008667:Metalloproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D038081:Organogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D017933:Peripheral Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012679:Sense Organs / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D008667:Metalloproteins; C528683:Wech protein, Drosophila; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases; C059217:stg protein, Drosophila