Crews S, Franks R, Hu S, Matthews B, Nambu J
Department of Biology, University of California, Los Angeles 90024.
J Exp Zool. 1992 Mar 1;261(3):234-44. doi: 10.1002/jez.1402610303.
Our goal is to understand the molecular mechanisms that govern the formation of the central nervous system. In particular, we have focused on the development of a small group of neurons and glia that lie along the midline of the Drosophila CNS. These midline cells possess a number of unique attributes which make them particularly amenable to molecular, cellular, and genetic examinations of nervous system formation and function. In addition, the midline cells exhibit distinctive ontogeny, morphology, anatomical position, and patterns of gene expression which suggest that they may provide unique functions to the developing CNS. The single-minded gene encodes a nuclear protein which is specifically expressed in the midline cells and has been shown to play a crucial role in midline cell development and CNS formation. Genetic experiments reveal that sim is required for the expression of many CNS midline genes which are thought to be involved in the proper differentiation of these cells. In order to identify additional genes which are expressed in some or all of the midline cells at different developmental stages, a technique known as enhancer trap screening was employed. This screen led to the identification of a large number of potential genes which exhibit various midline expression patterns and may be involved in discrete aspects of midline cell development. Further molecular, genetic, and biochemical analyses of sim and several of the enhancer trap lines are being pursued. This should permit elucidation of the genetic hierarchy which acts in the specification, differentiation, and function of these CNS midline cells.
我们的目标是了解支配中枢神经系统形成的分子机制。具体而言，我们专注于果蝇中枢神经系统中线处一小群神经元和神经胶质细胞的发育。这些中线细胞具有许多独特的特性，这使得它们特别适合对神经系统的形成和功能进行分子、细胞和遗传学研究。此外，中线细胞表现出独特的个体发生、形态、解剖位置和基因表达模式，这表明它们可能为发育中的中枢神经系统提供独特的功能。单-minded基因编码一种核蛋白，该蛋白在中线细胞中特异性表达，并已被证明在中线细胞发育和中枢神经系统形成中起关键作用。遗传学实验表明，sim是许多中枢神经系统中线基因表达所必需的，这些基因被认为与这些细胞的正常分化有关。为了鉴定在不同发育阶段在部分或全部中线细胞中表达的其他基因，采用了一种称为增强子陷阱筛选的技术。该筛选导致鉴定出大量潜在基因，这些基因表现出各种中线表达模式，可能参与中线细胞发育的不同方面。目前正在对sim和几个增强子陷阱系进行进一步的分子、遗传和生化分析。这应该有助于阐明在这些中枢神经系统中线细胞的特化、分化和功能中起作用的遗传层次结构。
