Mosaic Analysis With A Repressible Cell Marker Research Articles

Intertissue Mechanical Stress Affects Frizzled-Mediated Planar Cell Polarity in the Drosophila Notum Epidermis

Frizzled/planar cell polarity (Fz/PCP) signaling controls the orientation of sensory bristles and cellular hairs (trichomes) along the anteroposterior axis of the Drosophila thorax (notum). A subset of the trichome-producing notum cells differentiate as "tendon cells," serving as attachment sites for the indirect flight muscles (IFMs) to the exoskeleton. Through the analysis of chascon (chas), a gene identified by its ability to disrupt Fz/PCP signaling under overexpression conditions, and jitterbug (jbug)/filamin, we show that maintenance of anteroposterior planar polarization requires the notum epithelia to balance mechanical stress generated by the attachment of the IFMs. chas is expressed in notum tendon cells, and its loss of function disturbs cellular orientation at and near the regions where IFMs attach to the epidermis. This effect is independent of the Fz/PCP and fat/dachsous systems. The chas phenotype arises during normal shortening of the IFMs and is suppressed by genetic ablation of the IFMs. chas acts through jbug/filamin and cooperates with MyosinII to modulate the mechanoresponse of notum tendon cells. These observations support the notion that the ability of epithelia to respond to mechanical stress generated by one or more interactions with other tissues during development and organogenesis influences the maintenance of its shape and PCP features.

Identification and analysis of a glutamatergic local interneuron lineage in the adult Drosophila olfactory system

BackgroundThe antennal lobe of Drosophila is perhaps one of the best understood neural circuits, because of its well-described anatomical and functional organization and ease of genetic manipulation. Olfactory lobe interneurons - key elements of information processing in this network - are thought to be generated by three identified central brain neuroblasts, all of which generate projection neurons. One of these neuroblasts, located lateral to the antennal lobe, also gives rise to a population of local interneurons, which can either be inhibitory (GABAergic) or excitatory (cholinergic). Recent studies of local interneuron number and diversity suggest that additional populations of this class of neurons exist in the antennal lobe. This implies that other, as yet unidentified, neuroblast lineages may contribute a substantial number of local interneurons to the olfactory circuitry of the antennal lobe.ResultsWe identified and characterized a novel glutamatergic local interneuron lineage in the Drosophila antennal lobe. We used MARCM (mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker) and dual-MARCM clonal analysis techniques to identify this novel lineage unambiguously, and to characterize interneurons contained in the lineage in terms of structure, neurotransmitter identity, and development. We demonstrated the glutamatergic nature of these interneurons by immunohistochemistry and use of an enhancer-trap strain, which reports the expression of the Drosophila vesicular glutamate transporter (DVGLUT). We also analyzed the neuroanatomical features of these local interneurons at single-cell resolution, and documented the marked diversity in their antennal lobe glomerular innervation patterns. Finally, we tracked the development of these dLim-1 and Cut positive interneurons during larval and pupal stages.ConclusionsWe have identified a novel neuroblast lineage that generates neurons in the antennal lobe of Drosophila. This lineage is remarkably homogeneous in three respects. All of the progeny are local interneurons, which are uniform in their glutamatergic neurotransmitter identity, and form oligoglomerular or multiglomerular innervations within the antennal lobe. The identification of this novel lineage and the elucidation of the innervation patterns of its local interneurons (at single cell resolution) provides a comprehensive cellular framework for emerging studies on the formation and function of potentially excitatory local interactions in the circuitry of the Drosophila antennal lobe.

Cytosolic Ras Supports Eye Development in Drosophila

Ras proteins associate with cellular membranes as a consequence of a series of posttranslational modifications of a C-terminal CAAX sequence that include prenylation and are thought to be required for biological activity. In Drosophila melanogaster, Ras1 is required for eye development. We found that Drosophila Ras1 is inefficiently prenylated as a consequence of a lysine in the A(1) position of its CAAX sequence such that a significant pool remains soluble in the cytosol. We used mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker (MARCM) to assess if various Ras1 transgenes could restore photoreceptor fate to eye disc cells that are null for Ras1. Surprisingly, we found that whereas Ras1 with an enhanced efficiency of membrane targeting could not rescue the Ras1 null phenotype, Ras1 that was not at all membrane targeted by virtue of a mutation of the CAAX cysteine was able to fully rescue eye development. In addition, constitutively active Ras1(12V,C186S) not targeted to membranes produced a hypermorphic phenotype and stimulated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling in S2 cells. We conclude that the membrane association of Drosophila Ras1 is not required for eye development.

Stem Cell Dynamics in Response to Nutrient Availability

When nutrient availability becomes limited, animals must actively adjust their metabolism to allocate limited resources and maintain tissue homeostasis. However, it is poorly understood how tissues maintained by adult stem cells respond to chronic changes in metabolism. To begin to address this question, we fed flies a diet lacking protein (protein starvation) and assayed both germline and intestinal stem cells. Our results revealed a decrease in stem cell proliferation and a reduction in stem cell number; however, a small pool of active stem cells remained. Upon refeeding, stem cell number increased dramatically, indicating that the remaining stem cells are competent to respond quickly to changes in nutritional status. Stem cell maintenance is critically dependent upon intrinsic and extrinsic factors that act to regulate stem cell behavior. Activation of the insulin/IGF signaling pathway in stem cells and adjacent support cells in the germline was sufficient to suppress stem cell loss during starvation. Therefore, our data indicate that stem cells can directly sense changes in the systemic environment to coordinate their behavior with the nutritional status of the animal, providing a paradigm for maintaining tissue homeostasis under metabolic stress.

A Complete Developmental Sequence of a Drosophila Neuronal Lineage as Revealed by Twin-Spot MARCM

Author SummaryA brain consists of numerous, potentially individually unique neurons that derive from a limited number of progenitors. It has been shown in various model organisms that specific neurons arise in a lineage made by a repeatedly renewing progenitor at specific times of development. However, except in the worm C. elegans, the stereotype of neural development has never been examined in sufficient detail to account for every single neuron derived from a common progenitor. Here we applied a sophisticated genetic mosaic system to mark single neurons in the adult Drosophila brain and simultaneously reveal in which lineage a targeted neuron had arisen and when along the lineage it was made. We have identified each neuron in a lineage of olfactory projection neurons. There are a remarkable 40 types of neurons within this lineage born over two epochs. Strikingly, the birth order strictly dictates the fate of each post-mitotic neuron, including the fate of programmed cell death, such that every neuron type has a unique and invariant cell count. Sequencing an entire neuronal lineage provides definitive evidence for origin-dependent neuron type specification. It further permits a systematic characterization of neuron types for comprehensive circuitry mapping.

Neuronal Synaptic Outputs Determine the Sexual Fate of Postsynaptic Targets

Synapses mediate inductive interactions for the proper development of pre- and postsynaptic cells: presynaptic electrical activities and synaptic transmission ensure the organization of postsynaptic structures, whereas neurotrophins produced in postsynaptic cells support the survival and enlargement of presynaptic partners. In Drosophila, a motor nerve has been implicated in the induction of the muscle of Lawrence (MOL), the formation of which is male specific and depends on the neural expression of fruitless (fru), a neural sex-determinant gene. Here we report the identification of a single motoneuron essential for inducing the MOL, which we call the MOL-inducing (Mind) motoneuron. The MOL is restored in fru mutant males, which otherwise lack the MOL, if the fru(+) transgene is selectively expressed in the Mind motoneuron by mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker. We further demonstrate that synaptic outputs from the Mind motoneuron are indispensable to MOL induction, because the blockage of synaptic transmission by shibire(ts) (shi(ts)) during the critical period in development abolished the MOL formation in males. Our finding that sex-specific neurons instruct sexually dimorphic development of their innervating targets through synaptic interactions points to the novel mechanism whereby the pre- and postsynaptic partners coordinately establish their sexual identity.

Drosophila olfactory local interneurons and projection neurons derive from a common neuroblast lineage specified by the empty spiracles gene

BackgroundEncoding of olfactory information in insects occurs in the antennal lobe where the olfactory receptor neurons interact with projection neurons and local interneurons in a complex sensory processing circuitry. While several studies have addressed the developmental mechanisms involved in specification and connectivity of olfactory receptor neurons and projection neurons in Drosophila, the local interneurons are far less well understood.ResultsIn this study, we use genetic marking techniques combined with antibody labelling and neuroblast ablation to analyse lineage specific aspects of local interneuron development. We find that a large set of local interneurons labelled by the GAL4-LN1 (NP1227) and GAL4-LN2 (NP2426) lines arise from the lateral neuroblast, which has also been shown to generate uniglomerular projection neurons. Moreover, we find that a remarkable diversity of local interneuron cell types with different glomerular innervation patterns and neurotransmitter expression derives from this lineage. We analyse the birth order of these two distinct neuronal types by generating MARCM (mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker) clones at different times during larval life. This analysis shows that local interneurons arise throughout the proliferative cycle of the lateral neuroblast beginning in the embryo, while uniglomerular projection neurons arise later during the second larval instar. The lateral neuroblast requires the function of the cephalic gap gene empty spiracles for the development of olfactory interneurons. In empty spiracles null mutant clones, most of the local interneurons and lateral projection neurons are lacking. These findings reveal similarities in the development of local interneurons and projection neurons in the olfactory system of Drosophila.ConclusionWe find that the lateral neuroblast of the deutocerebrum gives rise to a large and remarkably diverse set of local interneurons as well as to projection neurons in the antennal lobe. Moreover, we show that specific combinations of these two neuron types are produced in specific time windows in this neuroblast lineage. The development of both these cell types in this lineage requires the function of the empty spiracles gene.

Larval RNAi in Drosophila?

RNA interference (RNAi) has become a common method of gene knockdown in many model systems. To trigger an RNAi response, double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) must enter the cell. In some organisms such as Caenorhabditis elegans, cells can take up dsRNA from the extracellular environment via a cellular uptake mechanism termed systemic RNAi. However, in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, it is widely believed that cells are unable to take up dsRNA, although there is little published data to support this claim. In this study, we set out to determine whether this perception has a factual basis. We took advantage of traditional Ga14/upstream activation sequence (UAS) transgenic flies as well as the mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker (MARCM) system to show that extracellular injection of dsRNA into Drosophila larvae cannot trigger RNAi in most Drosophila tissues (with the exception of hemocytes). Our results show that this is not due to a lack of RNAi machinery in these tissues as overexpression of dsRNA inside the cells using hairpin RNAs efficiently induces an RNAi response in the same tissues. These results suggest that, while most Drosophila tissues indeed lack the ability to uptake dsRNA from the surrounding environment, hemocytes can initiate RNAi in response to extracellular dsRNA. We also examined another insect, the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, which has been shown to exhibit a robust systemic RNAi response. We show that virtually all Tribolium tissues can respond to extracellular dsRNA, which is strikingly different from the situation in Drosophila. Our data provide specific information about the tissues amenable to RNAi in two different insects, which may help us understand the molecular basis of systemic RNAi.

Sexual Dimorphism: Can You Smell the Difference?

A powerful new technique for visualizing neurons in the fly brain has uncovered fine neuroanatomical differences between the olfactory circuitries of male and female Drosophila.

Tiling of R7 Axons in the Drosophila Visual System Is Mediated Both by Transduction of an Activin Signal to the Nucleus and by Mutual Repulsion

The organization of neuronal wiring into layers and columns is a common feature of both vertebrate and invertebrate brains. In the Drosophila visual system, each R7 photoreceptor axon projects within a single column to a specific layer of the optic lobe. We refer to the restriction of terminals to single columns as tiling. In a genetic screen based on an R7-dependent behavior, we identified the Activin receptor Baboon and the nuclear import adaptor Importin-alpha3 as being required to prevent R7 axon terminals from overlapping with the terminals of R7s in neighboring columns. This tiling function requires the Baboon ligand, dActivin, the transcription factor, dSmad2, and retrograde transport from the growth cone to the R7 nucleus. We propose that dActivin is an autocrine signal that restricts R7 growth cone motility, and we demonstrate that it acts in parallel with a paracrine signal that mediates repulsion between R7 terminals.

A Genetic Mosaic Analysis With a Repressible Cell Marker Screen to Identify Genes Involved in Tracheal Cell Migration During Drosophila Air Sac Morphogenesis

Branching morphogenesis of the Drosophila tracheal system relies on the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) signaling pathway. The Drosophila FGF ligand Branchless (Bnl) and the FGFR Breathless (Btl/FGFR) are required for cell migration during the establishment of the interconnected network of tracheal tubes. However, due to an important maternal contribution of members of the FGFR pathway in the oocyte, a thorough genetic dissection of the role of components of the FGFR signaling cascade in tracheal cell migration is impossible in the embryo. To bypass this shortcoming, we studied tracheal cell migration in the dorsal air sac primordium, a structure that forms during late larval development. Using a mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker (MARCM) clone approach in mosaic animals, combined with an ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS)-mutagenesis screen of the left arm of the second chromosome, we identified novel genes implicated in cell migration. We screened 1123 mutagenized lines and identified 47 lines displaying tracheal cell migration defects in the air sac primordium. Using complementation analyses based on lethality, mutations in 20 of these lines were genetically mapped to specific genomic areas. Three of the mutants were mapped to either the Mhc or the stam complementation groups. Further experiments confirmed that these genes are required for cell migration in the tracheal air sac primordium.

A Clonal Genetic Screen for Mutants Causing Defects in Larval Tracheal Morphogenesis in Drosophila

The initial establishment of the tracheal network in the Drosophila embryo is beginning to be understood in great detail, both in its genetic control cascades and in its cell biological events. By contrast, the vast expansion of the system during larval growth, with its extensive ramification of preexisting tracheal branches, has been analyzed less well. The mutant phenotypes of many genes involved in this process are probably not easy to reveal, as these genes may be required for other functions at earlier developmental stages. We therefore conducted a screen for defects in individual clonal homozygous mutant cells in the tracheal network of heterozygous larvae using the mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker (MARCM) system to generate marked, recombinant mitotic clones. We describe the identification of a set of mutants with distinct phenotypic effects. In particular we found a range of defects in terminal cells, including failure in lumen formation and reduced or extensive branching. Other mutations affect cell growth, cell shape, and cell migration.

A protocol for mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker (MARCM) in Drosophila

Mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker (MARCM) is a genetic technique used in Drosophila to label single cells or multiple cells sharing a single progenitor. Labeled homozygous mutant cells can be generated in an otherwise unlabeled heterozygous animal. Mutant or wild-type labeled cells can also be made to express one or more transgenes. Major applications of MARCM include (i) lineage analysis, (ii) investigating gene function in single or small populations of cells and (iii) neuronal circuit tracing. Our laboratory uses MARCM primarily to label and genetically manipulate neurons; however, this protocol can be adapted to any cell of interest. The protocol involves generating two fly stocks with the necessary genetic elements for MARCM analysis and subsequently generating MARCM clones. Labeled clones can be followed in live and fixed tissues for high-resolution analysis of wild-type or genetically manipulated cells.NOTE: In the PDF version of this article initially published online, the first "FRT" and the "Mutation" labels in Figure 1b were transposed. In both the PDF and HTML versions, "mutant" was omitted from the label on the right, which should read "Labeled homozygous mutant daughter cell". The figure has been corrected in all versions of the article.

Gradients of the Drosophila Chinmo BTB-Zinc Finger Protein Govern Neuronal Temporal Identity

Many neural progenitors, including Drosophila mushroom body (MB) and projection neuron (PN) neuroblasts, sequentially give rise to different subtypes of neurons throughout development. We identified a novel BTB-zinc finger protein, named Chinmo (Chronologically inappropriate morphogenesis), that governs neuronal temporal identity during postembryonic development of the Drosophila brain. In both MB and PN lineages, loss of Chinmo autonomously causes early-born neurons to adopt the fates of late-born neurons from the same lineages. Interestingly, primarily due to a posttranscriptional control, MB neurons born at early developmental stages contain more abundant Chinmo than their later-born siblings. Further, the temporal identity of MB progeny can be transformed toward earlier or later fates by reducing or increasing Chinmo levels, respectively. Taken together, we suggest that a temporal gradient of Chinmo (Chinmo(high) --> Chinmo(low)) helps specify distinct birth order-dependent cell fates in an extended neuronal lineage.

Chinmo and Neuroblast Temporal Identity

Although spatial patterning during embryonic development is well characterized, a corresponding framework for temporal patterning has not been established. In this issue, Zhu et al. (2006) identify the Chinmo protein as conferring temporal identity on the neural progeny of Drosophila neuroblasts, revealing appealing parallels with spatial patterning.

Identification of E2/E3 Ubiquitinating Enzymes and Caspase Activity Regulating Drosophila Sensory Neuron Dendrite Pruning

Ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is a multistep protein degradation machinery implicated in many diseases. In the nervous system, UPS regulates remodeling and degradation of neuronal processes and is linked to Wallerian axonal degeneration, though the ubiquitin ligases that confer substrate specificity remain unknown. Having shown previously that class IV dendritic arborization (C4da) sensory neurons in Drosophila undergo UPS-mediated dendritic pruning during metamorphosis, we conducted an E2/E3 ubiquitinating enzyme mutant screen, revealing that mutation in ubcD1, an E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, resulted in retention of C4da neuron dendrites during metamorphosis. Further, we found that UPS activation likely leads to UbcD1-mediated degradation of DIAP1, a caspase-antagonizing E3 ligase. This allows for local activation of the Dronc caspase, thereby preserving C4da neurons while severing their dendrites. Thus, in addition to uncovering E2/E3 ubiquitinating enzymes for dendrite pruning, this study provides a mechanistic link between UPS and the apoptotic machinery in regulating neuronal process remodeling.

Thebrain tumorgene negatively regulates neural progenitor cell proliferation in the larval central brain ofDrosophila

Brain development in Drosophila is characterized by two neurogenic periods, one during embryogenesis and a second during larval life. Although much is known about embryonic neurogenesis, little is known about the genetic control of postembryonic brain development. Here we use mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker (MARCM) to study the role of the brain tumor (brat) gene in neural proliferation control and tumour suppression in postembryonic brain development of Drosophila. Our findings indicate that overproliferation in brat mutants is due to loss of proliferation control in the larval central brain and not in the optic lobe. Clonal analysis indicates that the brat mutation affects cell proliferation in a cell-autonomous manner and cell cycle marker expression shows that cells of brat mutant clones show uncontrolled proliferation, which persists into adulthood. Analysis of the expression of molecular markers, which characterize cell types in wild-type neural lineages, indicates that brat mutant clones comprise an excessive number of cells, which have molecular features of undifferentiated progenitor cells that lack nuclear Prospero (Pros). pros mutant clones phenocopy brat mutant clones in the larval central brain, and targeted expression of wild-type pros in brat mutant clones promotes cell cycle exit and differentiation of brat mutant cells, thereby abrogating brain tumour formation. Taken together, our results provide evidence that the tumour suppressor brat negatively regulates cell proliferation during larval central brain development of Drosophila, and suggest that Prospero acts as a key downstream effector of brat in cell fate specification and proliferation control.

A mosaic genetic screen for novel mutations affecting Drosophila neuroblast divisions.

BackgroundThe asymmetric segregation of determinants during cell division is a fundamental mechanism for generating cell fate diversity during development. In Drosophila, neural precursors (neuroblasts) divide in a stem cell-like manner generating a larger apical neuroblast and a smaller basal ganglion mother cell. The cell fate determinant Prospero and its adapter protein Miranda are asymmetrically localized to the basal cortex of the dividing neuroblast and segregated into the GMC upon cytokinesis. Previous screens to identify components of the asymmetric division machinery have concentrated on embryonic phenotypes. However, such screens are reaching saturation and are limited in that the maternal contribution of many genes can mask the effects of zygotic loss of function, and other approaches will be necessary to identify further genes involved in neuroblast asymmetric division.ResultsWe have performed a genetic screen in the third instar larval brain using the basal localization of Miranda as a marker for neuroblast asymmetry. In addition to the examination of pupal lethal mutations, we have employed the MARCM (Mosaic Analysis with a Repressible Cell Marker) system to generate postembryonic clones of mutations with an early lethal phase. We have screened a total of 2,300 mutagenized chromosomes and isolated alleles affecting cell fate, the localization of basal determinants or the orientation of the mitotic spindle. We have also identified a number of complementation groups exhibiting defects in cell cycle progression and cytokinesis, including both novel genes and new alleles of known components of these processes.ConclusionWe have identified four mutations which affect the process of neuroblast asymmetric division. One of these, mapping to the imaginal discs arrested locus, suggests a novel role for the anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) in the targeting of determinants to the basal cortex. The identification and analysis of the remaining mutations will further advance our understanding of the process of asymmetric cell division. We have also isolated a number of mutations affecting cell division which will complement the functional genomics approaches to this process being employed by other laboratories. Taken together, these results demonstrate the value of mosaic screens in the identification of genes involved in neuroblast division.

Genetic mosaic with dual binary transcriptional systems in Drosophila

MARCM (mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker) involves specific labeling of GAL80-minus and GAL4-positive homozygous cells in otherwise heterozygous tissues. Here we demonstrate how the concurrent use of two independent binary transcriptional systems may facilitate complex MARCM studies in the Drosophila nervous system. By fusing LexA with the VP16 acidic activation domain (VP16) or the GAL4 activation domain (GAD), we obtained both GAL80-insensitive and GAL80-suppressible transcriptional factors. LexA::VP16 can mediate MARCM-independent binary transgene induction in mosaic organisms. The incorporation of LexA::GAD into MARCM, which we call dual-expression-control MARCM, permits the induction of distinct transgenes in different patterns among GAL80-minus cells in mosaic tissues. Lineage analysis with dual-expression-control MARCM suggested the presence of neuroglioblasts in the developing optic lobes but did not indicate the production of glia by postembryonic mushroom body neuronal precursors. In addition, dual-expression-control MARCM with a ubiquitous LexA::GAD driver revealed many unidentified cells in the GAL4-GH146-positive projection neuron lineages.

Structure of the vertical and horizontal system neurons of the lobula plate in Drosophila.

The lobula plate in the optic lobe of the fly brain is a high-order processing center for visual information. Within the lobula plate lie a small number of giant neurons that are responsible for the detection of wide field visual motion. Although the structure and motion sensitivity of these cells have been extensively described in large flies, the system has not been described systematically in Drosophila. Here, we use the mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker (MARCM) system to analyze a subset of these cells, the horizontal and vertical systems. Our results suggest that the Drosophila horizontal system is similar to those described in larger flies, with three neurons fanning their dendrites over the lobula plate. We found that there are six neurons in the Drosophila vertical system, a figure that compares with 9-11 neurons in large flies. Even so, the Drosophila vertical system closely resembles the systems of larger flies, with each neuron in Drosophila having an approximate counterpart in large flies. This anatomical similarity implies that the inputs to the vertical system are similarly organized in these various fly species, and that it is likely that the Drosophila neurons respond to motions similar to those sensed by their specific structural counterparts in large flies. Additionally, the similar appearance of vertical system cells in multiple cell clones demonstrates that they share a common developmental lineage. Access to these cells in Drosophila should allow for the use of genetic tools in future studies of horizontal and vertical system function.