Notch is required for successive cell decisions in the developing Drosophila retina

Cell recognition during synaptogenesis is revealed after temperature-shock-induced perturbations in the developing fly's optic lamina

Houseflies (Musca domestica) were exposed to pulses of heat (1 h) or cold (several hours) during early pupal life, and the effects were investigated on the development of the first optic neuropile, or lamina, of the visual system. The treatments were designed to perturb the cellular organization of the cartridges, the unit synaptic structures of the lamina, so as to provide novel synaptic opportunities among the normally fixed composition of these modules, thereby testing the preferences of their component cells during synaptogenesis. Various abnormalities were identified, but these were not always consistent between flies: retinal abnormalities included the loss and fusion of rhabdomeres, especially of the central cells of the ommatidium, whereas in the lamina low frequencies of abnormal cartridges were found. These included seven that were studied with serial sections, which instead of the normal pair of L1 and L2 monopolar interneurons had supernumerary cells of this type. The normal pairing of L1 and L2 at postsynaptic sites of receptor terminal tetrad synapses was preserved in these cases, the cells eschewing pairings of homologous L1/L2 or L2/L2 partners. This meant that more than one L1 could pair with a single L2 and vice versa, even at the same terminal, and appeared to do so opportunistically on the basis of proximity, with cells closer to each other pairing more frequently. Thus the cells behave during synaptogenesis as if they recognize other cells only as cell types (receptor, L1 or L2) and not as individual cells.

Further evidence for function of the Drosophila Notch protein as a transmembrane receptor

N locus mutations associated with unusual mutant phenotypes were found to alter the structure of the encoded protein. Two mutations, NCo and N60g11, eliminate much of the cytoplasmic domain. NCo can act as a null allele or as a competitive inhibitor of N+ function, whereas N60g11 produces dominant gain of function in some cell types. This difference in function can be attributed to retention of cdc10/SWI6 repeats in the Notch60g11 protein. The results suggest a role for these repeats in intracellular signaling and are consistent with action of Notch as a receptor. nd3 and l(1)NB alter extracellular epidermal growth factor-like and lin-12/Notch elements, respectively. nd3 eliminates a conserved cysteine residue, so the mutation may result in complete loss of function for a single Notch epidermal growth factor element. N60g11 and l(1)NB produce related gain-of-function phenotypes. It is proposed that l(1)NB produces an extracellular modification of the protein that stimulates aberrant intracellular signaling by the Notch cytoplasmic domain.

The strawberry notch gene functions with Notch in common developmental pathways

Genetic and phenotypic analysis of strawberry notch suggests that its gene product is required during embryogenesis and oogenesis, and for the development of the eye, wing and leg. Several lines of evidence suggest that strawberry notch participates together with Notch in many common pathways. A number of strawberry notch mutant phenotypes are similar to those of Notch mutants and can be rescued by an extra copy of wild-type Notch. In addition, mutations in strawberry notch interact strongly with Notch mutants in a tissue-specific manner. Mutations in the strawberry notch and Notch loci also show very similar interactions with genes like Hairless, Delta, groucho, Serrate, and deltex that have all been proposed to participate in Notch related pathways. The genetic evidence presented here suggests that strawberry notch participates with members of the Notch pathway in facilitating developmentally relevant cell-cell communications.

A Minute encoding a ribosomal protein enhances wing morphogenesis mutants

E(Dl)KP135 has been isolated previously as a recessive lethal Drosophila P element insertion line with a dominant enhancing effect on the phenotype of Delta, a gene encoding a surface membrane protein. We show here that this P insertion also enhances the wing phenotype of nd1, an allele of Notch encoding another transmembrane protein, the putative receptor of Delta, as well as that of if3, an allele of the integrin gene PS2 alpha. Moreover, we noticed that this P insertion causes a severe Minute phenotype. Molecular characterisation revealed that the P element disrupts the putative mRNA leader sequence of the ribosomal protein L19 gene. We tested further Minute genes and found that two of them, similarly to E(Dl)KP135, strongly enhance the nd1 wing phenotype. Our results suggest that the pleiotropic Minute syndrome can affect, probably indirectly, one or more steps of wing morphogenesis that involve surface adhesion of epithelial cells.

The embryonic development of the Drosophila visual system

We have used electron-microscopic studies, bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation and antibody labeling to characterize the development of the Drosophila larval photoreceptor (or Bolwig's) organ and the optic lobe, and have investigated the role of Notch in the development of both. The optic lobe and Bolwig's organ develop by invagination from the posterior procephalic region. After cells in this region undergo four postblastoderm divisions, a total of approximately 85 cells invaginate. The optic lobe invagination loses contact with the outer surface of the embryo and forms an epithelial vesicle attached to the brain. Bolwig's organ arises from the ventralmost portion of the optic lobe invagination, but does not become incorporated in the optic lobe; instead, its 12 cells remain in the head epidermis until late in embryogenesis when they move in conjunction with head involution to reach their final position alongside the pharynx. Early, before head involution, the cells of Bolwig's organ form a superficial group of 7 cells arranged in a 'rosette' pattern and a deep group of 5 cells. Later, all neurons move out of the surface epithelium. Unlike adult photoreceptors, they do not form rhabdomeres; instead, they produce multiple, branched processes, which presumably carry the photopigment. Notch is essential for two aspects of the early development of the visual system. First, it delimits the number of cells incorporated into Bolwig's organ. Second, it is required for the maintenance of the epithelial character of the optic lobe cells during and after its invagination.

Intrinsic activity of the Lin-12 and Notch intracellular domains in vivo

The lin-12 gene of C. elegans and the Notch gene of D. melanogaster encode structurally related transmembrane proteins that mediate intercellular signaling. We show that truncated forms of these proteins consisting of only the intracellular domains cause cell fate transformations associated with constitutive activity in their respective organisms. This activity does not depend on endogenous gene function. Our results indicate that the intracellular domains of Lin-12 and Notch have intrinsic activity and that the principal role of the extracellular domains in the intact proteins is to regulate this activity. Our results also suggest that equivalent truncated forms of lin-12/Notch family members in vertebrates, including known oncogenes, are similarly active.

Specific truncations of Drosophila Notch define dominant activated and dominant negative forms of the receptor

The Notch gene of Drosophila plays an important role in cell fate specification throughout development. To investigate the functions of specific structural domains of the Notch protein in vivo, a series of deletion mutants have been ectopically expressed under the hsp70 heat shock promoter. Two classes of dominant phenotypes are observed, one suggestive of Notch loss-of-function mutations and the other of Notch gain-of-function mutations. Dominant activated phenotypes result from overexpression of a protein lacking most extracellular sequences, while dominant negative phenotypes result from overexpression of a protein lacking most intracellular sequences. These results support the notion that Notch functions as a receptor whose extracellular domain mediates ligand binding, resulting in the transmission of developmental signals by the cytoplasmic domain. Finally, the phenotypes observed suggest that the cdc 10/ankyrin repeat region within the intracellular domain plays an essential role in the postulated signal transduction events.

Spatially localized rhomboid is required for establishment of the dorsal-ventral axis in Drosophila oogenesis

The establishment of dorsal-ventral asymmetry of the Drosophila embryo requires a group of genes that act maternally. None of the previously identified dorsal-ventral axis genes are known to produce asymmetrically localized gene products during oogenesis. We show that rhomboid (rho), a novel member of this group, encodes a protein that is localized on the apical surface of the dorsal-anterior follicle cells surrounding the oocyte. Loss of rho function causes ventralization of the eggshell and the embryo, whereas ectopic expression leads to dorsalization of both structures. Thus, spatially restricted rho is necessary and sufficient for dorsal-ventral axis formation. We propose, based on these observations and double mutant experiments, that the spatially restricted rho protein leads to selective activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor in the dorsal follicle cells and subsequently the specification of the dorsal follicle cells.

tramtrack is a transcriptional repressor required for cell fate determination in the Drosophila eye

Cell fate determination in the Drosophila eye is mediated by inductive events between neighboring cells in the eye imaginal disc. These inductive signals lead to differential gene expression necessary for the elaboration of different cell types in the compound eye. Several putative transcription factors have been identified previously that may be required for expression of genes that specify cell fate in the compound eye. Repression of inappropriate gene expression may be as important as transcriptional activation in the determination of cell fate. We report the identification of a mutation in the Drosophila tramtrack (ttk) locus that is required for cell fate determination in the compound eye. ttk is expressed as two proteins, p69 and p88, shown previously to bind to the regulatory regions of several segmentation genes. In ttk1, an allele missing the mRNA encoding p88, many ommatidia contained supernumerary R7 cells and decreased numbers of R1-R6 cells. ttk1e11, which appears to disrupt both Ttk proteins, was characterized by early embryonic arrest as well as transformation of ommatidial cells into nonommatidial cell types in mosaic flies. Consistent with previous proposals that the Ttk proteins are transcriptional repressors of segmentation genes, we detected ectopic or increased expression of the segment polarity gene engrailed in several ttk1 larval tissues. We propose that p69 is required to repress expression of genes that are incompatible with development of photoreceptor cell fates, whereas p88 appears to be required to repress genes that promote the R7 cell fate.

Neuronal development in the Drosophila retina

Nervous systems of higher organisms are comprised of a variety of cell types which are interconnected in a precise manner. The molecular mechanisms that lead to the specification of neuronal cell types are not well understood. The compound eye of the fruit fly Drosophila is an attractive experimental system to understand these mechanisms. The compound eye is a reiterated neural pattern with several hundred unit structures and is amenable to both classical and molecular genetic methods. During the development of the compound eye cell-cell interactions and positional information play a critical role in the determination of cell fate. Recent genetic and molecular studies have provided important clues regarding the nature of the molecules involved in cellular signalling and neuronal differentiation.

Positive and negative signaling mechanisms in the regulation of photoreceptor induction in the developing Drosophila retina. Review

An ommatidium of a Drosophila compound eye contains eight photoreceptor cells, R1-R8. The fates of the photoreceptors are determined exclusively by inductive interactions between neuronal precursors in the cell cluster from which the ommatidium is formed. R7 induction has been extensively analysed at the molecular level. Activation of a membrane receptor tyrosine kinase (Sevenless) in the R7 precursor by a ligand (Bride of sevenless) present on the surface of R8 triggers a transduction cascade mediated by Ras, establishing the R7 fate of this cell. Other Sev-expressing cells are prevented from taking on the R7 fate by several different mechanisms. Pokkuri-mediated repression represents one such regulatory mechanism. The positive and negative signaling pathways operating in the fate determination of other photoreceptor cells are also discussed.

Expression of an extracellular deletion of Xotch diverts cell fate in Xenopus embryos

Xotch is a Xenopus homolog of Notch, a receptor involved in cell fate decisions in Drosophila. Using an extracellular deletion construct, Xotch delta E, we show that Xotch has a similar role in Xenopus embryos. Broad expression causes the loss of dorsal structures and the expansion and disorganization of the brain. Single blastomere injections of Xotch delta E induce autonomous neural and mesodermal hypertrophy, even in the absence of cell division. Xotch delta E inhibits the early expression of epidermal and neural crest markers yet enhances and extends the response of animal caps to mesodermal and neural induction. Our data suggest a mechanism for the function of Notch homologs in which they delay differentiation and leave undetermined cells competent to respond to later inductive signals.

Cell interactions and gene interactions in peripheral neurogenesis

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Genetic and molecular characterization of a Notch mutation in its Delta- and Serrate-binding domain in Drosophila

The Drosophila Notch gene product is a transmembrane protein that functions as a receptor of intercellular signals in several Drosophila developmental processes. Two other transmembrane proteins, encoded by the genes Delta and Serrate, genetically and molecularly behave as Notch ligands. All these proteins share the presence of epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like repeats in their extracellular domain. The Notch protein has 36 EGF-like repeats, 2 of which, numbers 11 and 12, are required for the interaction with the Delta and Serrate ligands. We have isolated and molecularly characterized a Notch mutation in its Delta- and Serrate-binding domain that behaves genetically as both a Notch antimorphic and a loss-of-function mutation. This mutation, NM1, carries a Glu-->Val substitution in the Notch EGF repeat 12. The NM1 allele interacts with other Notch alleles such as Abruptex and split and with mutations in the Notch-ligand genes Delta and Serrate. The basis for the genetic antimorphism of NM1 seems to reside in the titration of Notch wild-type products into NM1/N+ nonfunctional dimers and/or the titration of Delta products into nonfunctional ligand-receptor complexes.

Mouse notch: expression in hair follicles correlates with cell fate determination

Many vertebrate tissues, including skin, are known to develop as a consequence of epithelial-mesenchymal interactions. Much less is known about the role of cell-cell interaction within the epithelial or the mesenchymal compartments in morphogenesis. To investigate cell-cell interactions during skin development, and the potential role of the Notch homolog in this process, we cloned the mouse homolog of Notch (mNotch) and studied its expression pattern, starting as early as mesoderm formation. The novel application of double-labeled in situ hybridization in vertebrates allowed high resolution analysis to follow the fate of mNotch expressing cells directly. In comparison with the distribution of Id mRNA, analysis confirmed that in the hair follicle high levels of mNotch are expressed exclusively in the epithelial compartment. Hair follicle matrix cells start expressing mNotch as different cell types become distinguishable in the developing follicle. mNotch mRNA expression persists throughout the growth phase of the follicle and maintains the same expression profile in the second hair cycle. The cells in the follicle that undergo a phase of high level mNotch expression are in transition from mitotic precursors to several discreet, differentiating cell types. Our observations point out that both in time (during development) and in space (by being removed one cell layer from the dermal papilla) mNotch expression is clearly separated from the inductive interactions. This is a novel finding and suggests that mNotch is important for follicular differentiation and possibly cell fate selection within the follicle.

A temperature-sensitive brain tumor suppressor mutation of Drosophila melanogaster: developmental studies and molecular localization of the gene

The recessive-lethal, temperature-sensitive (ts) mutation of the tumor suppressor gene lethal(3)malignant brain tumor (l(3)mbt) causes in a single step the malignant transformation of the adult optic neuroblasts and ganglion mother cells in the larval brain at the restrictive temperature of 29 degrees C. The transformed cells are differentiation-incompetent and grow autonomously in a lethal and invasive fashion in situ in the brain as well as after transplantation in vivo into wild-type adult hosts. The imaginal discs show epithelial overgrowth. At the permissive temperature of 22 degrees C development is completely normal. The ts-period of gene activity responsible for 100% brain tumor suppression and normal imaginal disc development encompasses the first six hours of embryonic development. The l(3)mbt gene function is, however, also required thereafter for the proper differentiation of the brain and the imaginal discs. The l(3)mbt gene is located cytologically in the salivary gland chromosome bands 97E8-F11, and in molecular terms in 29 kb of DNA detected via a P-element insertional deletion.

Characterization of the radiation-sensitive stage in the development of the compound eye of Drosophila

The development of the compound eye of Drosophila is particularly sensitive to irradiation during the third larval instar. Moreover, the anterioposterior location of the eye-pattern defects produced by irradiation during the third instar is correlated with the age of the larvae at the time of irradiation, as first shown by H.J. Becker. The development of the fly eye proceeds from posterior to anterior, and so these results suggest that there may be a radiation-sensitive stage in the development of the precursor cells in the eye imaginal disc of Drosophila. We show here that irradiation of third-instar Drosophila larvae with 23-30 Gy of 60Co gamma-rays produces confluent pattern disruptions in a dorsoventral stripe of eye tissue with an average width of about 8 facets along the anterioposterior axis. By measuring the time interval from irradiation to pupariation in individual larvae, we were able to determine that the posterior boundary of the radiation-sensitive region is located 0-1 columns anterior to the morphogenetic furrow in the developing eye imaginal disc. Therefore the anterior boundary of the radiation-sensitive region lies about 8-9 columns anterior to the morphogenetic furrow. These boundaries demarcate the region of the eye imaginal disc within which a specific subset of precursor cells (those that will develop into the R1, R6 and R7 photoreceptor cells, as well as the pigment and cone cells) are preparing for their final round of mitosis. Irradiation of these precursor cells would cause the death or delayed mitosis of their daughter cells within the morphogenetic furrow, while they are initiating the cellular interactions that determine cell fate in the developing eye. Irradiation of more anterior cells (i.e., at earlier stages) results in few pattern defects, presumably because the resulting cell death and delayed mitosis can be completed before the morphogenetic furrow passes.

Implications of dynamic patterns of Delta and Notch expression for cellular interactions during Drosophila development

Delta and Notch function are required for cell fate specification in numerous tissues during embryonic and postembryonic Drosophila development. Delta is expressed by all members of interacting cell populations within which fates are being specified and is subsequently down-regulated as cells stably adopt particular fates. Multiphasic expression in the derivatives of many germ layers implies successive requirements for Delta function in a number of tissues. At the cellular level, Delta and Notch expression are generally coincident within developing tissues. At the subcellular level, Delta and Notch are localized in apparent endocytic vesicles during down-regulation from the surfaces of interacting cells, implying an interaction consistent with their proposed roles as signal and receptor in cellular interactions during development.

Specifying the path of the intersegmental nerve of the Drosophila embryo: a role for Delta and Notch

The intersegmental nerve (ISN) of the Drosophila embryo follows a reproducible course near the anterior border of each segment. Based on the experiments reported here, we suggest that growth of the axons constituting the nerve is guided, in part, by the transmembrane proteins Delta and Notch. In particular, we suggest that expression of Delta protein on a branch of the trachea provides a path for the nerve through the lateral part of the embryo, and that the growing axons use the Notch protein on their surfaces to recognize this path. Consistent with this idea, we show that disruption of the trachea abolishes the ability of the ISN to extend through this part of the embryonic periphery. Finally, we argue that the same regulatory network that directs these peripheral axons also specifies the trajectory of part of the axonal scaffold of the central nervous system.

Programmed cell death during Drosophila embryogenesis

The deliberate and orderly removal of cells by programmed cell death is a common phenomenon during the development of metazoan animals. We have examined the distribution and ultrastructural appearance of cell deaths that occur during embryogenesis in Drosophila melanogaster. A large number of cells die during embryonic development in Drosophila. These cells display ultrastructural features that resemble apoptosis observed in vertebrate systems, including nuclear condensation, fragmentation and engulfment by macrophages. Programmed cell deaths can be rapidly and reliably visualized in living wild-type and mutant Drosophila embryos using the vital dyes acridine orange or nile blue. Acridine orange appears to selectively stain apoptotic forms of death in these preparations, since cells undergoing necrotic deaths were not significantly labelled. Likewise, toluidine blue staining of fixed tissues resulted in highly specific labelling of apoptotic cells, indicating that apoptosis leads to specific biochemical changes responsible for the selective affinity to these dyes. Cell death begins at stage 11 (approximately 7 hours) of embryogenesis and thereafter becomes widespread, affecting many different tissues and regions of the embryo. Although the distribution of dying cells changes drastically over time, the overall pattern of cell death is highly reproducible for any given developmental stage. Detailed analysis of cell death in the central nervous system of stage 16 embryos (13-16 hours) revealed asymmetries in the exact number and position of dying cells on either side of the midline, suggesting that the decision to die may not be strictly predetermined at this stage. This work provides the basis for further molecular genetic studies on the control and execution of programmed cell death in Drosophila.

Expression analysis of a Notch homologue in the mouse embryo

The Drosophila Notch gene has been shown to be involved in the determination of fate in a number of different cell types. Similarly, Notch homologues in Caenorhabditis elegans are involved in cell decision-making steps. It is of interest to determine if a mammalian Notch homologue plays a role in cell fate determination. We have isolated cDNA from a mouse Notch gene using low-stringency hybridization with probes derived from the Xenopus Notch gene. Sequence analysis reveals that this gene possesses EGF repeats, Notch/lin-12 repeats, and CDC-10/SWI-6 repeats, characteristic of other Notch homologues. Northern analysis revealed that the transcript size was roughly 10 kb as has been found for the other Notch genes. We have studied the expression pattern of the gene by both conventional and whole mount in situ hybridization. Expression patterns were consistent with mouse Notch having a determinative role in the formation of mesoderm, somites, and the nervous system.

Notch2: a second mammalian Notch gene

Notch is a cell surface receptor that mediates a wide variety of cellular interactions that specify cell fate during Drosophila development. Recently, homologs of Drosophila Notch have been isolated from Xenopus, human and rat, and the expression patterns of these vertebrate proteins suggest that they may be functionally analogous to their Drosophila counterpart. We have now identified a second rat gene that exhibits substantial nucleic and amino acid sequence identity to Drosophila Notch. This gene, designated Notch2, encodes a protein that contains all the structural motifs characteristic of a Notch protein. Thus, mammals differ from Drosophila in having more than one Notch gene. Northern and in situ hybridisation analyses in the developing and adult rat identify distinct spatial and temporal patterns of expression for Notch1 and Notch2, indicating that these genes are not redundant. These results suggest that the great diversity of cell-fate decisions regulated by Notch in Drosophila may be further expanded in vertebrates by the activation of distinct Notch proteins.

Single amino acid substitutions in EGF-like elements of Notch and Delta modify Drosophila development and affect cell adhesion in vitro

Notch locus EGF-like element mutations spl, altering eye development, and AxE2, affecting wing and sensilla development, are modified by mutations at Delta. It is shown that two allele-specific suppressors of spl involve single amino acid substitutions in the 4th (Dlsup5) and 9th (Dlsup4) EGF-like elements of the Delta protein. Cultured cells producing spl or AxE2 aggregate with cells producing wild-type Delta or Dlsup5 protein, and Dlsup5-producing cells adhere to cells producing wild-type Notch protein. However, spl,AxE2, and Dlsup5 are each defective in promoting these cell affinities, as none of the mutant proteins can compete with the corresponding wild-type proteins for formation of cell aggregates. Thus, widely separated EGF-like elements of Notch and Delta appear to participate in functional molecular interactions between the proteins. Dlsup5 does not improve adhesiveness of spl in vitro, so suppression in vivo may involve altered developmental signaling by spl-Dlsup5 complexes, rather than modified cell adhesion.

The big brain gene of Drosophila functions to control the number of neuronal precursors in the peripheral nervous system

big brain (bib) is one of the six known zygotic neurogenic genes involved in the decision of an ectodermal cell to take on the neurogenic or the epidermogenic cell fate. Previous studies suggest that bib functions in a pathway separate from the one involving Notch and other known neurogenic genes. For a better understanding of the bib function, it is essential first to characterize the mutant phenotype in detail. Our mutant analyses show that loss of bib function approximately doubles the number of neuronal precursors and their progeny cells in the embryonic peripheral nervous system. Mosaic studies reveal a hypertrophy of sensory bristles in bib mutant patches in adult flies. Our observations are compatible with a function of bib in specifying neuronal precursors of both the embryonic and adult sensory nervous system. This is in contrast to the function of Notch, which continues to be required at multiple stages of neural development subsequent to this initial determination event.

Two cellular inductions involved in photoreceptor determination in the Xenopus retina

Cellular determination in the Xenopus retina is not a strict consequence of cell lineage or cell birthdate. This suggests that a retinal cell gets its fate by either local cellular interactions, diffusible factors, or an indeterminate stochastic mechanism. We have performed an in vitro experiment in which cellular contact is controlled to test the first possibility directly. We use these experiments to demonstrate that two cellular inductions are involved in photoreceptor determination in vitro and that these inductions also occur during development in the retina in vivo. The first interaction is responsible for biasing cells toward either a generic photoreceptor or a cone fate, while the second directs cells toward a rod cell fate.

The involvement of the Notch locus in Drosophila oogenesis

The Notch gene in Drosophila encodes a transmembrane protein with homology to EGF that, in a variety of tissues, appears to mediate cell interactions necessary for cell fate choices. Here we demonstrate that oogenesis and spermatogenesis depend on Notch. We examine the phenotypes of the temperature-sensitive Notch allele, Nts1, and, using a monoclonal antibody, determine the cellular and subcellular distribution of Notch protein during oogenesis. We show that Nts1 is associated with a missense mutation in the extracellular, EGF homologous region of Notch and that at non-permissive temperatures oogenesis is blocked and the subcellular distribution of the protein is altered. In wild-type ovaries, Notch protein is found on the apical surface of somatically derived follicle cells, while in the germline-derived cells the protein is not polarized. These findings are discussed in view of the hypothesis that Notch acts as a multifunctional receptor to mediate developmentally important cell interactions.

Expression pattern of Motch, a mouse homolog of Drosophila Notch, suggests an important role in early postimplantation mouse development

The Notch gene of Drosophila encodes a large transmembrane protein involved in cell-cell interactions and cell fate decisions in the Drosophila embryo. To determine if a gene homologous to Drosophila Notch plays a role in early mouse development, we screened a mouse embryo cDNA library with probes from the Xenopus Notch homolog, Xotch. A partial cDNA clone encoding the mouse Notch homolog, which we have termed Motch, was used to analyze expression of the Motch gene. Motch transcripts were detected in a wide variety of adult tissues, which included derivatives of all three germ layers. Differentiation of P19 embryonal carcinoma cells into neuronal cell types resulted in increased expression of Motch RNA. In the postimplantation mouse embryo Motch transcripts were first detected in mesoderm at 7.5 days post coitum (dpc). By 8.5 dpc, transcript levels were highest in presomitic mesoderm, mesenchyme and endothelial cells, while much lower levels were detected in neuroepithelium. In contrast, at 9.5 dpc, neuroepithelium was a major site of Motch expression. Transcripts were also abundant in cell types derived from neural crest. These data suggest that the Motch gene plays multiple roles in patterning and differentiation of the early postimplantation mouse embryo.

The argos gene encodes a diffusible factor that regulates cell fate decisions in the Drosophila eye

The argos gene encodes a protein that is required for viability and that regulates the determination of cells in the Drosophila eye. A developmental analysis of argos mutant eyes indicates that the mystery cells, which are usually nonneuronal, are transformed into extra photoreceptors, and that supernumerary cone cells and pigment cells are also recruited. Clonal analysis indicates that argos acts nonautonomously and can diffuse over the range of several cell diameters. Conceptual translation of the argos gene suggests that it encodes a secreted protein.

mip causes hyperinnervation of a retinotopic map in Drosophila by excessive recruitment of R7 photoreceptor cells

The two central photoreceptor neurons of the Drosophila eye, R7 and R8, form a retinotopic map in the optic lobe of the fly brain. We have developed a technique that allows us to visualize the projections of these neurons with high resolution. Using this technique, we have identified a new mutant, mip (more inner photoreceptors), in which this map shows a striking hyperinnervation. The extra terminals in the brain derive from an excessive recruitment of sevenless-independent R7 photoreceptor cells during eye development. The original R7, however, remains sevenless responsive. The behavior of this gene suggests that recruitment to the R7 pathway, and possibly to multiple programs in ommatidial assembly, is partially regulated by inhibition.

Blackpatch, a neural degeneration mutation that interacts with the Notch locus in Drosophila

We have identified a gene in Drosophila melanogaster that is involved in the development of the adult eye and optic lobe of the brain and that interacts with facet alleles at the Notch locus. We have named this locus Blackpatch (Bpt). Mutant alleles of Bpt produce a variety of abnormal phenotypes in the presence of facet alleles. These phenotypes include neural degeneration in the eye and in the optic lobe of the adult brain that begins 60 hr after pupariation and produces a dark, necrotic eye spot in the adult eye. Other phenotypes include recessive embryonic lethality, pharate adult lethality, and premature adult death. We have isolated and characterized 10 Bpt alleles, all of which yield the neural eye/brain degeneration phenotype in individuals who are also homozygous or hemizygous for facet mutations. Only some of the facet alleles interact with Bpt. Bpt mutations also interact with the split mutation but do not interact with other types of Notch mutation. Somatic mosaic analysis and imaginal disc transplantation experiments suggest that the optic lobe of the brain may be the focus of Bpt action. We conclude that the Notch and Bpt genes have important functions during the interaction between the retina and the optic lobe of the brain.

Ellipse mutations in the Drosophila homologue of the EGF receptor affect pattern formation, cell division, and cell death in eye imaginal discs

Ellipse alleles are mutations of the EGF-receptor homologue that reduce the number of ommatidia in the eye imaginal disc. Cobalt sulfide staining, expression of hairy and scabrous proteins, and mosaic analysis indicated that Elp mutations affect ommatidial precluster formation in the morphogenetic furrow. BrdU incorporation studies suggest that cells diverted from precluster formation instead enter S-phase after the morphogenetic furrow. Genetic studies suggest that the DER has multiple functions during eye development and that several recessive hypomorphic alleles affect another aspect of DER function that is required after precluster formation. Elp mutations show genetic interactions with the neurogenic mutations Notch and Delta. The small number of ommatidia that differentiate in Elp/Elp are separated more than in wildtype and have been studied to investigate what aspects of ommatidium development are intrinsic to the ommatidium itself. It appears that each developing ommatidium cues the determination of photoreceptors, cone cells, and primary pigment cells, but that the secondary and tertiary pigment cells, and the mechanosensory bristles, can form independently. The normal rotation of ommatidia in the dorsal-ventral axis does not require the presence of the ommatidial array. A short-range signal from a nearby ommatidium is important for mitosis. Cells not close to an ommatidium do not go through mitosis and many die.

Localization of DER and the pattern of cell divisions in wild-type and Ellipse eye imaginal discs

The compound eye of Drosophila develops from a uniform layer of epithelial cells in the eye imaginal disc. One intriguing aspect of eye development is the establishment of the correct number and spacing of the photoreceptor clusters which give rise to the mature ommatidia. Ellipse (Elp) has been implicated as playing a role in this process because the Elp dominant gain of function mutation dramatically reduces the number of photoreceptor clusters in the compound eye without affecting the morphology of individual clusters that are formed (Baker and Rubin, 1989). Since Elp represents an allele of the Drosophila EGF receptor (DER) locus, it encodes a protein which is structurally capable of mediating inductive cell-cell interactions. In an effort to better understand the role of the DER locus in ommatidial patterning, we compared the localization of DER protein in eye imaginal discs of wild-type and Elp larvae. The distribution of this receptor is consistent with the notion of its mediating interactions between cells at the initial stages of photoreceptor precluster positioning and differentiation. However, the basis of the Elp gain of function mutation is not ectopic or increased expression of the DER protein. Rather, expression of the Elp form of the EGF receptor homolog in the normal localization leads to changes in the proliferative pattern of cells dividing posterior to the morphogenetic furrow.

Control of photoreceptor development

Recent studies of cell type determination in the vertebrate retina suggest that rod photoreceptor development involves interactions among cells that are mediated, at least in part, by temporally regulated diffusible signals. In this review the strategies used to generate rods in the vertebrate retina are compared with those described for photoreceptor development in the Drosophila retina.

Induction in the developing compound eye of Drosophila: multiple mechanisms restrict R7 induction to a single retinal precursor cell

The development of the Drosophila R7 photoreceptor cell is determined by a specific inductive interaction between the R8 photoreceptor cell and a single neighboring precursor cell. This process is mediated by bride of sevenless (boss), a cell-surface bound ligand, and the sevenless (sev) tyrosine kinase receptor. The boss ligand is expressed specifically on the surface of the R8 cell, whereas the sev receptor is expressed on 5 cells contacting the developing R8 cell and other cells not in contact with R8. By altering the spatial and temporal expression of boss, we demonstrate that sev-expressing cells that do not contact R8 can assume an R7 cell fate. By contrast, the sev-expressing precursor cells to the R1-R6 photoreceptor cells that do contact R8 are nonresponsive to the inductive cue. Using the rough and Nspl mutations, we demonstrate that an early commitment to an R1-R6 cell fate blocks the pathway of sev activation in these cells.

Bristle patterning in Drosophila

The 5000 bristles that protrude from the cuticle of a Drosophila adult function as either mechanosensors or chemosensors, and they are arranged in surprisingly intricate patterns. Development of the patterns appears to involve five stages: (1) establishment of a coordinate system of 'positional information'; (2) partitioning of the epidermis into areas where bristles either can or cannot originate; (3) selection of one or more bristle mother cells within each permissible area; (4) suppression of bristle development in the neighborhood of each mother cell; and (5) differentiation of the mother cell to produce four or more descendant cells, each of which forms part of the bristle apparatus. Some of the genes that control these events participate in more than one stage, and others play key roles in seemingly unrelated developmental pathways, including embryonic neurogenesis, body segmentation, and sex determination.

Specification of cell fate in the developing eye of Drosophila

Determination of cell fate in the developing eye of Drosophila depends on a precise sequence of cellular interactions which generate the stereotypic array of ommatidia. In the eye imaginal disc, an initially unpatterned epithelial sheath of cells, the first step in this process may be the specification of R8 photoreceptor cells at regular intervals. Genes such as Notch and scabrous, known to be involved in bristle development, also participate in this process, suggesting that the specification of ommatidial founder cells and the formation of sensory organs in the adult epidermis may involve a similar mechanism, that of lateral inhibition. The subsequent steps of ommatidial assembly, following R8 assignment, involve a different mechanism: Undetermined cells read their position based on the contacts they make with neighbors that have already begun to differentiate. The development of the R7 photoreceptor cell, one of the eight photoreceptor cells in the ommatidium, is best understood. An important role seems to be played by sevenless, a receptor tyrosine kinase on the surface of the R7 precursor. It transmits the positional information--most likely encoded by the boss protein on the neighboring R8 cell membrane--into the cell via its tyrosine kinase, which activates a signal transduction cascade. Constitutive activation of the sevenless kinase by overexpression of an N-terminally truncated form results in the diversion of other ommatidial cells into the R7 pathway suggesting that activation of the sevenless signalling pathway is sufficient to specify R7 development. Genetic dissection of this pathway should therefore identify components of a signalling cascade activated by a tyrosine kinase.

Role of neurogenic genes in establishment of follicle cell fate and oocyte polarity during oogenesis in Drosophila

Oogenesis in Drosophila involves specification of both germ cells and the surrounding somatic follicle cells, as well as the determination of oocyte polarity. We found that two neurogenic genes, Notch and Delta, are required in oogenesis. These genes encode membrane proteins with epidermal growth factor repeats and are essential in the decision of an embryonic ectodermal cell to take on the fate of neuroblast or epidermoblast. In oogenesis, mutation in either gene leads to an excess of posterior follicle cells, a cell fate change reminiscent of the hyperplasia of neuroblasts seen in neurogenic mutant embryos. Furthermore, the Notch mutation in somatic cells causes mislocalization of bicoid in the oocyte. These results suggest that the neurogenic genes Notch and Delta are involved in both follicle cell development and the establishment of anterior-posterior polarity in the oocyte.

Patterning by cell recruitment in the Drosophila eye

Patterning of the retinal epithelium in insects involves cellular interactions. Recent molecular genetic characterization of these interactions in Drosophila and some emerging principles of how cell fate is determined in this system are the subject of this review.

The role of transcription factors in the developing Drosophila eye

In the developing Drosophila compound eye, multipotent precursor cells are induced to develop into particular cell types through sequential induction. In the target cells, transcription factors may be modulated by the inductive signals to execute their instructions. Four recently isolated genes may encode such developmentally modulated transcription factors.

Complex cellular and subcellular regulation of notch expression during embryonic and imaginal development of Drosophila: implications for notch function

The Notch gene in Drosophila encodes a transmembrane protein with homology to EGF that appears to mediate cell-cell interactions necessary for proper epidermal vs. neural fate decisions. In this study, we examine Notch expression in detail throughout embryonic and imaginal development using confocal laser-scanning microscopy and specific mAb probes. We find that Notch is expressed in a tissue-specific manner as early as the cellular blastoderm stage, when cells of the presumptive mesoderm clearly express less Notch than adjacent ectodermal precursors. Notch is abundantly expressed during the initial determination of neuronal lineages, such as the embryonic neuroblasts and the precursors of sensory neurons in the imaginal disc epithelia, but expression quickly decreases during subsequent differentiation. These changing patterns of Notch expression do not correlate well with cell movements, and thus do not appear to support the notion that the major function of Notch is to maintain epithelial integrity via adhesive mechanisms. Our data suggest instead that Notch may act as a cell-surface receptor, perhaps functioning in the lateral inhibition mechanism that is necessary for proper spacing of neuronal precursors.

Neuronal determination without cell division in Xenopus embryos

Cell division in the Xenopus CNS was blocked by incubating embryos in a mixture of the DNA synthesis inhibitors hydroxyurea and aphidicolin. Surprisingly, embryos treated at the beginning of gastrulation proceeded normally through neurulation, neural tube closure, and CNS subdivision. Thus, cell division is not critical for neural induction or early morphogenetic events in the CNS. Neuroblasts in treated embryos differentiated into neurons of many classes, indicating that cellular determination in the CNS can be dissociated from lineage and birth date. Axonal tracts and embryonic reflexes also developed. The remarkable amount of normal CNS development that occurs in these animals may be explained by a series of sequential inductions that are largely independent of cell proliferation.

Star is required in a subset of photoreceptor cells in the developing Drosophila retina and displays dosage sensitive interactions with rough

We report that mutations at the Star locus act as dominant enhancers of the eye phenotype displayed by flies carrying a null allele of rough. Our analysis of double mutants at different stages of eye development suggests that this phenotype results from defects in the early stages of photoreceptor cell differentiation in the eye imaginal disc. Complete loss of Star function during retinal development, analyzed in mosaic animals, results in cell death, visible as scars in the adult eye. The requirement for wild-type Star function, however, is confined to only a subset of photoreceptor cells, R8, R2, and R5, which are the first three cells to differentiate neurally in the developing retina. These results suggest an essential role for the Star gene in the initial events of ommatidial cluster formation during the development of the Drosophila compound eye.