Ectopic scute induces Drosophila ommatidia development without R8 founder photoreceptors

During development of the Drosophila peripheral nervous system, different proneural genes encoding basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors are required for different sensory organs to form. atonal (ato) is the proneural gene required for chordotonal organs and R8 photoreceptors, whereas the achaete-scute complex contains proneural genes for external sensory organs such as the macrochaetae, large sensory bristles. Whereas ectopic ato expression induces chordotonal organ formation, ectopic scute expression produces external sensory organs but not chordotonal organs in the wing. Proneural genes thus appear to specify the sensory organ type. In the ommatidium, or unit eye, R8 is the first photoreceptor to form and appears to recruit other photoreceptors and support cells. In the atonal(1) (ato(1)) mutant, R8 photoreceptors fail to form, thereby resulting in the complete absence of ommatidia. To our surprise, we found that ectopic scute expression in the ato(1) mutant induces the formation of ommatidia, which occasionally sprout ectopic macrochaetae. Remarkably, many scute-induced ommatidia lack R8 although they contain outer photoreceptors.