title: CTP Synthase Is Required for Optic Lobe Homeostasis in Drosophila.
abstract: CTP synthase (CTPsyn) is a metabolic enzyme responsible for the de novo synthesis of the nucleotide CTP. Several recent studies have shown that CTPsyn forms filamentous subcellular structures known as cytoophidia in bacteria, yeast, fruit flies and humans. However, it remains elusive whether and how CTPsyn and cytoophidia play a role during development. Here, we show that cytoophidia are abundant in the neuroepithelial stem cells in Drosophila optic lobes. Optic lobes are underdeveloped in CTPsyn mutants as well as in CTPsyn RNAi. Moreover, overexpressing CTPsyn impairs the development of optic lobes, specifically by blocking the transition from neuroepithelium to neuroblast. Taken together, our results indicate that CTPsyn is critical for optic lobe homeostasis in Drosophila.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Functional Genomics Unit, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ömür Y
authors.initials: ÖY
authors.lastname: Tastan
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Functional Genomics Unit, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom. Electronic address: jilong.liu@dpag.ox.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Ji-Long
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000201:enzymology; D019731:Carbon-Nitrogen Ligases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D006706:Homeostasis; D007814:Larva / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development; D009154:Mutation; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D046569:Neuroepithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D009899:Optic Lobe, Nonmammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019731:Carbon-Nitrogen Ligases; C019951:CTP synthetase
keywords: CTP synthase; Central nervous system; Cytoophidium; Drosophila; Neuroepithelial stem cell