title: A targeted genetic screen identifies crucial players in the specification of the Drosophila abdominal Capaergic neurons.
abstract: The central nervous system contains a wide variety of neuronal subclasses generated by neural progenitors. The achievement of a unique neural fate is the consequence of a sequence of early and increasingly restricted regulatory events, which culminates in the expression of a specific genetic combinatorial code that confers individual characteristics to the differentiated cell. How the earlier regulatory events influence post-mitotic cell fate decisions is beginning to be understood in the Drosophila NB 5-6 lineage. However, it remains unknown to what extent these events operate in other lineages. To better understand this issue, we have used a very highly specific marker that identifies a small subset of abdominal cells expressing the Drosophila neuropeptide Capa: the ABCA neurons. Our data support the birth of the ABCA neurons from NB 5-3 in a cas temporal window in the abdominal segments A2-A4. Moreover, we show that the ABCA neuron has an ABCA-sibling cell which dies by apoptosis. Surprisingly, both cells are also generated in the abdominal segments A5-A7, although they undergo apoptosis before expressing Capa. In addition, we have performed a targeted genetic screen to identify players involved in ABCA specification. We have found that the ABCA fate requires zfh2, grain, Grunge and hedgehog genes. Finally, we show that the NB 5-3 generates other subtype of Capa-expressing cells (SECAs) in the third suboesophageal segment, which are born during a pdm/cas temporal window, and have different genetic requirements for their specification.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gabilondo
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Losada-Pérez
authors.forename: Delia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: del Saz
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Molina
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: León
authors.forename: Inmaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Canal
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Torroja
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Benito-Sipos
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000294:innervation; D000818:Animals; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000378:metabolism; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics; D016923:Cell Death; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009417:Nerve Tissue / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051880:Receptors, Notch / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D053823:Hedgehog Proteins; C497759:N protein, Drosophila; D009479:Neuropeptides; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D014157:Transcription Factors; C455043:capa protein, Drosophila; C110593:cas protein, Drosophila; C450826:gug protein, Drosophila; C077245:hh protein, Drosophila