Molecular and genetic analysis of Drosophila eye development: sevenless, bride of sevenless and rough

Environmental cues play a critical role in neuronal development in the Drosophila compound eye. Through cell-cell interactions, different classes of photoreceptor neurons are generated in specific numbers and occupy characteristic positions within ommatidia, the building blocks of the compound eye. Recent studies on three genes, sevenless, bride of sevenless and rough, provide insight into the cellular rules and molecular mechanisms underlying ommatidial assembly.