Abstract
The adult thorax of Drosophila melanogaster is covered by a stereotyped pattern of mechanosensory bristles called macrochaetes. Here, we report that the MYST containing protein Chameau (Chm) contributes to the establishment of this pattern in the most dorsal part of the thorax. Chm mutant pupae present extra-dorsocentral (DC) and scutellar (SC) macrochaetes, but a normal number of the other macrochaetes. We provide evidences that chm restricts the singling out of sensory organ precursors from proneural clusters and genetically interacts with transcriptional regulators involved in the regulation of achaete and scute in the DC and SC proneural cluster. This function of chm likely relies on chromatin structure regulation since a protein with a mutation in the conserved catalytic site fails to rescue the formation of supernumerary DC and SC bristles in chm mutant flies. This is further supported by the finding that mutations in genes encoding chromatin modifiers and remodeling factors, including Polycomb group (PcG) and Trithorax group (TrxG) members, dominantly modulate the penetrance of chm extra bristle phenotype. These data support a critical role for chromatin structure modulation in the establishment of the stereotyped sensory bristle pattern in the fly thorax.
Highlights
Twenty-six large sensory bristles are arranged in a stereotyped pattern on the dorsal thorax of Drosophila melanogaster
Each SOP is selected during larval development from a proneural territory comprising 10 to 30 cells of the wing imaginal disc epithelium that are provided with the potential to develop a neural fate by bHLH transcriptional activators encoded by proneural genes of the achaete-scute complex [9,10,11]
As chm mutation more frequently induces the formation of supernumerary SC macrochaetes, we focused on SOPs emerging from the SC proneural cluster in the notum of imaginal wing discs
Summary
Twenty-six large sensory bristles (or macrochaetes) are arranged in a stereotyped pattern on the dorsal thorax of Drosophila melanogaster. As a control, using MZ980-Gal4, that drives expression in a wing disc proximal region distinct from DC and SC clusters and later along the prospective junction of the contralateral discs [37], perfectly rescues the thoracic cleft of chm mutants [31] but not the extra bristle phenotype.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
