title: Transient nuclear Prospero induces neural progenitor quiescence.
abstract: Stem cells can self-renew, differentiate, or enter quiescence. Understanding how stem cells switch between these states is highly relevant for stem cell-based therapeutics. Drosophila neural progenitors (neuroblasts) have been an excellent model for studying self-renewal and differentiation, but quiescence remains poorly understood. In this study, we show that when neuroblasts enter quiescence, the differentiation factor Prospero is transiently detected in the neuroblast nucleus, followed by the establishment of a unique molecular profile lacking most progenitor and differentiation markers. The pulse of low level nuclear Prospero precedes entry into neuroblast quiescence even when the timing of quiescence is advanced or delayed by changing temporal identity factors. Furthermore, loss of Prospero prevents entry into quiescence, whereas a pulse of low level nuclear Prospero can drive proliferating larval neuroblasts into quiescence. We propose that Prospero levels distinguish three progenitor fates: absent for self-renewal, low for quiescence, and high for differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, United States.
authors.forename: Sen-Lin
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, United States.
authors.forename: Chris Q
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Doe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000235:genetics; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D007814:Larva / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D013696:Temperature; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C073099:pros protein, Drosophila
keywords: D. melanogaster; developmental biology; neural progenitor; prospero; quiescence; stem cells