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Walton D Jones¹

¹Biological Sciences, KAIST, 335 Gwanghangno, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-701, Republic of Korea. waltonjones@kaist.edu

Bioessays : News and Reviews in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology

|June 7, 2008

Summary

Disrupting microRNA-279 (miR-279) in Drosophila revealed hybrid carbon dioxide (CO2) neurons in the maxillary palp, potentially showing an ancient evolutionary form.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Developmental Biology
Evolutionary Biology

Background:

Carbon dioxide (CO2) sensing neurons are crucial for host-seeking behavior in insects.
In Drosophila (fruit flies), CO2 neurons are located in the antennae, while in mosquitoes, they are in the maxillary palps.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression, often playing roles in development and evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of microRNA-279 (miR-279) in the development and localization of CO2 sensing neurons in Drosophila.
To explore the potential evolutionary implications of altered CO2 neuron populations.

Main Methods:

Genetic manipulation to disrupt the function of miR-279 in Drosophila.
Analysis of CO2 neuron populations and their locations within the Drosophila sensory system.
Comparison of observed neuronal phenotypes with known distributions in related dipteran species.

Main Results:

Disruption of miR-279 led to the uncovering of hybrid CO2 neurons in the maxillary palp of Drosophila.
These hybrid neurons normally reside in the antennae, suggesting a regulatory role for miR-279 in their proper localization.
The presence of maxillary palp CO2 neurons in a Drosophila mutant mimics the condition found in mosquitoes.

Conclusions:

miR-279 acts as an inhibitor of Nerfin-1, a transcription factor that likely dictates CO2 neuron identity and location.
The miR-279 mutant Drosophila may represent an evolutionary intermediate, reflecting a state prior to the divergence of fly and mosquito lineages.
This finding provides insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal evolution and diversification in insects.