Dissecting differential gene expression within the circadian neuronal circuit of Drosophila.
Behavioral circadian rhythms are controlled by a neuronal circuit consisting of diverse neuronal subgroups. To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the roles of neuronal subgroups within the Drosophila circadian circuit, we used cell-type specific gene-expression profiling and identified a large number of genes specifically expressed in all clock neurons or in two important subgroups. Moreover, we identified and characterized two circadian genes, which are expressed specifically in subsets of clock cells and affect different aspects of rhythms. The transcription factor Fer2 is expressed in ventral lateral neurons; it is required for the specification of lateral neurons and therefore their ability to drive locomotor rhythms. The Drosophila melanogaster homolog of the vertebrate circadian gene nocturnin is expressed in a subset of dorsal neurons and mediates the circadian light response. The approach should also enable the molecular dissection of many different Drosophila neuronal circuits.
Nagoshi
Emi
E
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, National Center for Behavioral Genomics, Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA.
Sugino
Ken
K
Kula
Ela
E
Okazaki
Etsuko
E
Tachibana
Taro
T
Nelson
Sacha
S
Rosbash
Michael
M
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001683:Biological Clocks / Q000235:genetics*; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / Q000379:methods; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors; C102804:nocturnin