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Seven up acts as a temporal factor during two different stages of neuroblast 5-6 development

Jonathan Benito-Sipos1, Carina Ulvklo, Hugo Gabilondo

  • 1Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.

Development (Cambridge, England)
|November 11, 2011
PubMed

Insights

The nuclear hormone receptor Seven up (Svp) plays dual roles in Drosophila neuroblast development. It regulates early transitions and later cell fate decisions within a single neural lineage.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Neuroscience
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Drosophila embryonic neuroblasts produce diverse cell types sequentially via a temporal cascade (Hb→Kr→Pdm→Cas→Grh).
  • Seven up (Svp) acts as an early 'switching factor' in this cascade, facilitating the transition from Hb to Kr.
  • The later role of Svp in the developing central nervous system (CNS) remained uncharacterized.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the previously unaddressed role of Svp in the second wave of its expression within the developing CNS.
  • To identify novel genetic factors influencing the development of the last-born Ap4/FMRFamide neuron in the NB5-6T lineage.

Main Methods:

  • Genetic screening to isolate mutants affecting the NB5-6T lineage.
  • Expression analysis of Svp in neuroblasts.
  • Mutant analysis to determine the function of Svp in neural lineage development.

Main Results:

  • A novel allele of svp was identified in a screen for mutants affecting the Ap4/FMRFamide neuron.
  • Svp exhibits two distinct expression pulses in the NB5-6T lineage.
  • Mutant analysis revealed Svp's dual functions: downregulating Hb in the first pulse and subdividing a Cas/Grh-positive window in the second pulse.

Conclusions:

  • Svp acts in two distinct temporal windows within a single neural lineage.
  • This temporal factor plays dual roles, influencing both early transitions and later cell fate specification.
  • These findings highlight the complex, stage-specific functions of temporal factors in neural development.

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