Proper connectivity of Drosophila motion detector neurons requires Atonal function in progenitor cells

Neural Development

Bassem A Hassan¹  Natalie De Geest²  Natalia Mora²  Laura J J Nicolai¹  Ching-Man Choi¹  Carlos Oliva² 

[1] Program in Molecular and Developmental Genetics, Doctoral School for Biomedical Sciences, University of Leuven School of Medicine, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;Center for Human Genetics, University of Leuven School of Medicine, 3000 Leuven, Belgium

关键词: neurite guidance;    atonal;    Drosophila;    neural progenitor;   

Others  :  803305
DOI  :  10.1186/1749-8104-9-4

 received in 2013-12-08, accepted in 2014-02-13,  发布年份 2014

【 摘 要 】

Background

Vertebrates and invertebrates obtain visual motion information by channeling moving visual cues perceived by the retina through specific motion sensitive synaptic relays in the brain. In Drosophila, the series of synaptic relays forming the optic lobe are known as the lamina, medulla, lobula and lobula plate neuropiles. The fly’s motion detection output neurons, called the T4 and T5 cells, reside in the lobula plate. Adult optic lobe neurons are derived from larval neural progenitors in two proliferating compartments known as the outer and inner proliferation centers (OPC and IPC). Important insight has been gained into molecular mechanisms involved in the development of the lamina and medulla from the OPC, though less is known about the development of the lobula and lobula plate.

Results

Here we show that the proneural gene Atonal is expressed in a subset of IPC progenitors that give rise to the higher order motion detection neurons, T4 and T5, of the lobula plate. We also show that Atonal does not act as a proneural gene in this context. Rather, it is required specifically in IPC neural progenitors to regulate neurite outgrowth in the neuronal progeny.

Conclusions

Our findings reveal that a proneural gene is expressed in progenitors but is required for neurite development of their progeny neurons. This suggests that transcriptional programs initiated specifically in progenitors are necessary for subsequent neuronal morphogenesis.

【 授权许可】

   
2014 Oliva et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

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