title: Developmental regulation of glial cell phagocytic function during Drosophila embryogenesis.
abstract: The proper removal of superfluous neurons through apoptosis and subsequent phagocytosis is essential for normal development of the central nervous system (CNS). During Drosophila embryogenesis, a large number of apoptotic neurons are efficiently engulfed and degraded by phagocytic glia. Here we demonstrate that glial proficiency to phagocytose relies on expression of phagocytic receptors for apoptotic cells, SIMU and DRPR. Moreover, we reveal that the phagocytic ability of embryonic glia is established as part of a developmental program responsible for glial cell fate determination and is not triggered by apoptosis per se. Explicitly, we provide evidence for a critical role of the major regulators of glial identity, gcm and repo, in controlling glial phagocytic function through regulation of SIMU and DRPR specific expression. Taken together, our study uncovers molecular mechanisms essential for establishment of embryonic glia as primary phagocytes during CNS development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Family Institute for Research in the Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 31096, Israel.
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shklyar
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Family Institute for Research in the Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 31096, Israel.
authors.forename: Yael
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sellman
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Family Institute for Research in the Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 31096, Israel.
authors.forename: Jeny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shklover
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Family Institute for Research in the Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 31096, Israel.
authors.forename: Ketty
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mishnaevski
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Family Institute for Research in the Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 31096, Israel.
authors.forename: Flonia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Levy-Adam
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Family Institute for Research in the Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 31096, Israel. Electronic address: kurante@tx.technion.ac.il.
authors.forename: Estee
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kurant
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000196:embryology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000502:physiology; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000502:physiology*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000235:genetics; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C102805:GCM protein, Drosophila; C108880:HID protein, Drosophila; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; C529006:NimC4 protein, Drosophila; D014157:Transcription Factors; C108881:grim protein, Drosophila; C089972:repo protein, Drosophila; C086973:rpr protein, Drosophila; D053148:Caspase 3
keywords: Apoptosis; Development; Drosophila; Glia; Phagocytosis; SIMU