1
|
Bustillo ME, Douthit J, Astigarraga S, Treisman JE. Two distinct mechanisms of Plexin A function in Drosophila optic lobe lamination and morphogenesis. Development 2024; 151:dev202237. [PMID: 38738602 PMCID: PMC11190435 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Visual circuit development is characterized by subdivision of neuropils into layers that house distinct sets of synaptic connections. We find that, in the Drosophila medulla, this layered organization depends on the axon guidance regulator Plexin A. In Plexin A null mutants, synaptic layers of the medulla neuropil and arborizations of individual neurons are wider and less distinct than in controls. Analysis of semaphorin function indicates that Semaphorin 1a, acting in a subset of medulla neurons, is the primary partner for Plexin A in medulla lamination. Removal of the cytoplasmic domain of endogenous Plexin A has little effect on the formation of medulla layers; however, both null and cytoplasmic domain deletion mutations of Plexin A result in an altered overall shape of the medulla neuropil. These data suggest that Plexin A acts as a receptor to mediate morphogenesis of the medulla neuropil, and as a ligand for Semaphorin 1a to subdivide it into layers. Its two independent functions illustrate how a few guidance molecules can organize complex brain structures by each playing multiple roles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria E. Bustillo
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 435 E. 30th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Jessica Douthit
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 435 E. 30th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Sergio Astigarraga
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 435 E. 30th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Jessica E. Treisman
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 435 E. 30th Street, New York, NY 10016, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Malin JA, Chen YC, Simon F, Keefer E, Desplan C. Spatial patterning controls neuron numbers in the Drosophila visual system. Dev Cell 2024; 59:1132-1145.e6. [PMID: 38531357 PMCID: PMC11078608 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Neurons must be made in the correct proportions to communicate with the appropriate synaptic partners and form functional circuits. In the Drosophila visual system, multiple subtypes of distal medulla (Dm) inhibitory interneurons are made in distinct, reproducible numbers-from 5 to 800 per optic lobe. These neurons are born from a crescent-shaped neuroepithelium called the outer proliferation center (OPC), which can be subdivided into specific domains based on transcription factor and growth factor expression. We fate mapped Dm neurons and found that more abundant neural types are born from larger neuroepithelial subdomains, while less abundant subtypes are born from smaller ones. Additionally, morphogenetic Dpp/BMP signaling provides a second layer of patterning that subdivides the neuroepithelium into smaller domains to provide more granular control of cell proportions. Apoptosis appears to play a minor role in regulating Dm neuron abundance. This work describes an underappreciated mechanism for the regulation of neuronal stoichiometry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Malin
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
| | - Yen-Chung Chen
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Félix Simon
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Evelyn Keefer
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Claude Desplan
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zhang Y, Li X. Development of the Drosophila Optic Lobe. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2024; 2024:108156. [PMID: 37758285 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.top108156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
The Drosophila visual system has been a great model to study fundamental questions in neurobiology, such as neural fate specification, axon guidance, circuit formation, and information processing. The Drosophila visual system is composed of the compound eye and the optic lobe. The optic lobe is divided into four neuropils-namely, the lamina, medulla, lobula, and lobula plate. There are around 200 types of optic lobe neurons, which wire together to form a complex neural structure to processes visual information. These neurons are derived from two neuroepithelial structures-namely, the outer proliferation center (OPC) and the inner proliferation center (IPC), in the larval brain. Recent work on the Drosophila optic lobe has revealed basic principles underlying the development of this complex neural structure, and immunostaining has been a key tool in these studies. Here, we provide a brief overview of the Drosophila optic lobe structure and development, as revealed by immunostaining. First, we introduce the structure of the adult optic lobe. Then, we summarize recent advances in the study of neural fate specification during development of different parts of the optic lobe. Last, we briefly summarize general aspects of axon guidance and neuropil assembly in the optic lobe. With this review, we aim to familiarize readers with this complex neural structure and highlight the power of this great model to study neural development to facilitate further developmental and functional studies using this system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Simon F, Holguera I, Chen YC, Malin J, Valentino P, Erclik T, Desplan C. High-throughput identification of the spatial origins of Drosophila optic lobe neurons using single-cell mRNA-sequencing. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.05.578975. [PMID: 38370610 PMCID: PMC10871188 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.05.578975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
The medulla is the largest neuropil of the Drosophila optic lobe. It contains about 100 neuronal types that have been comprehensively characterized morphologically and molecularly. These neuronal types are specified from a larval neuroepithelium called the Outer Proliferation Center (OPC) via the integration of temporal, spatial, and Notch-driven mechanisms. Although we recently characterized the temporal windows of origin of all medulla neurons, as well as their Notch status, their spatial origins remained unknown. Here, we isolated cells from different OPC spatial domains and performed single-cell mRNA-sequencing to identify the neuronal types produced in these domains. This allowed us to characterize in a high-throughput manner the spatial origins of all medulla neurons and to identify two new spatial subdivisions of the OPC. Moreover, our work shows that the most abundant neuronal types are produced from epithelial domains of different sizes despite being present in a similar number of copies. Combined with our previously published scRNA-seq developmental atlas of the optic lobe, our work opens the door for further studies on how specification factor expression in progenitors impacts gene expression in developing and adult neurons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Félix Simon
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Isabel Holguera
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Yen-Chung Chen
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Jennifer Malin
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Priscilla Valentino
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
| | - Ted Erclik
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
| | - Claude Desplan
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Mannino MC, Cassidy MB, Florez S, Rusan Z, Chakraborty S, Schoborg T. Mutations in abnormal spindle disrupt temporal transcription factor expression and trigger immune responses in the Drosophila brain. Genetics 2023; 225:iyad188. [PMID: 37831641 PMCID: PMC10697820 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The coordination of cellular behaviors during neurodevelopment is critical for determining the form, function, and size of the central nervous system (CNS). Mutations in the vertebrate Abnormal Spindle-Like, Microcephaly Associated (ASPM) gene and its Drosophila melanogaster ortholog abnormal spindle (asp) lead to microcephaly (MCPH), a reduction in overall brain size whose etiology remains poorly defined. Here, we provide the neurodevelopmental transcriptional landscape for a Drosophila model for autosomal recessive primary microcephaly-5 (MCPH5) and extend our findings into the functional realm to identify the key cellular mechanisms responsible for Asp-dependent brain growth and development. We identify multiple transcriptomic signatures, including new patterns of coexpressed genes in the developing CNS. Defects in optic lobe neurogenesis were detected in larval brains through downregulation of temporal transcription factors (tTFs) and Notch signaling targets, which correlated with a significant reduction in brain size and total cell numbers during the neurogenic window of development. We also found inflammation as a hallmark of asp mutant brains, detectable throughout every stage of CNS development, which also contributes to the brain size phenotype. Finally, we show that apoptosis is not a primary driver of the asp mutant brain phenotypes, further highlighting an intrinsic Asp-dependent neurogenesis promotion mechanism that is independent of cell death. Collectively, our results suggest that the etiology of the asp mutant brain phenotype is complex and that a comprehensive view of the cellular basis of the disorder requires an understanding of how multiple pathway inputs collectively determine tissue size and architecture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria C Mannino
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | | | - Steven Florez
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Zeid Rusan
- Personalis, Inc., Fremont, CA 94555, USA
| | - Shalini Chakraborty
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Todd Schoborg
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Martin M, Gutierrez-Avino F, Shaikh MN, Tejedor FJ. A novel proneural function of Asense is integrated with the sequential actions of Delta-Notch, L'sc and Su(H) to promote the neuroepithelial to neuroblast transition. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010991. [PMID: 37871020 PMCID: PMC10621995 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
In order for neural progenitors (NPs) to generate distinct populations of neurons at the right time and place during CNS development, they must switch from undergoing purely proliferative, self-renewing divisions to neurogenic, asymmetric divisions in a tightly regulated manner. In the developing Drosophila optic lobe, neuroepithelial (NE) cells of the outer proliferation center (OPC) are progressively transformed into neurogenic NPs called neuroblasts (NBs) in a medial to lateral proneural wave. The cells undergoing this transition express Lethal of Scute (L'sc), a proneural transcription factor (TF) of the Acheate Scute Complex (AS-C). Here we show that there is also a peak of expression of Asense (Ase), another AS-C TF, in the cells neighboring those with transient L'sc expression. These peak of Ase cells help to identify a new transitional stage as they have lost NE markers and L'sc, they receive a strong Notch signal and barely exhibit NB markers. This expression of Ase is necessary and sufficient to promote the NE to NB transition in a more robust and rapid manner than that of l'sc gain of function or Notch loss of function. Thus, to our knowledge, these data provide the first direct evidence of a proneural role for Ase in CNS neurogenesis. Strikingly, we found that strong Delta-Notch signaling at the lateral border of the NE triggers l'sc expression, which in turn induces ase expression in the adjacent cells through the activation of Delta-Notch signaling. These results reveal two novel non-conventional actions of Notch signaling in driving the expression of proneural factors, in contrast to the repression that Notch signaling exerts on them during classical lateral inhibition. Finally, Suppressor of Hairless (Su(H)), which seems to be upregulated late in the transitioning cells and in NBs, represses l'sc and ase, ensuring their expression is transient. Thus, our data identify a key proneural role of Ase that is integrated with the sequential activities of Delta-Notch signaling, L'sc, and Su(H), driving the progressive transformation of NE cells into NBs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Martin
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Miguel Hernandez, Sant Joan d’Alacant, Spain
| | - Francisco Gutierrez-Avino
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Miguel Hernandez, Sant Joan d’Alacant, Spain
| | - Mirja N. Shaikh
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Miguel Hernandez, Sant Joan d’Alacant, Spain
| | - Francisco J. Tejedor
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Miguel Hernandez, Sant Joan d’Alacant, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Pollington HQ, Seroka AQ, Doe CQ. From temporal patterning to neuronal connectivity in Drosophila type I neuroblast lineages. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 142:4-12. [PMID: 35659165 PMCID: PMC9938700 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The development of the central nervous system (CNS) in flies and mammals requires the production of distinct neurons in different locations and times. Here we review progress on how Drosophila stem cells (neuroblasts; NBs) generate distinct neurons over time. There are two types of NBs: type I and type II NBs (defined below); here we focus on type I NBs; type II NBs are reviewed elsewhere in this issue. Type I NBs generate neural diversity via the cascading expression of specific temporal transcription factors (TTFs). TTFs are sequentially expressed in neuroblasts and required for the identity of neurons born during each TTF expression window. In this way TTFs specify the "temporal identity" or birth-order dependent identity of neurons. Recent studies have shown that TTF expression in neuroblasts alter the identity of their progeny, including directing motor neurons to form proper connectivity to the proper muscle targets, independent of their birth-order. Similarly, optic lobe (OL) type I NBs express a series of TTFs that promote proper neuron morphology and targeting to the four OL neuropils. Together, these studies demonstrate how temporal identity is crucial in promoting proper circuit assembly within the Drosophila CNS. In addition, TTF orthologs in mouse are good candidates for specifying neuron types in the neocortex and retina. In this review we highlight the recent advances in understanding the role of TTFs in CNS circuit assembly in Drosophila and reflect on the conservation of these mechanisms in mammalian CNS development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heather Q Pollington
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Austin Q Seroka
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Chris Q Doe
- Institute of Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Hamid A, Gutierrez A, Munroe J, Syed MH. The Drivers of Diversity: Integrated genetic and hormonal cues regulate neural diversity. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 142:23-35. [PMID: 35915026 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Proper functioning of the nervous system relies not only on the generation of a vast repertoire of distinct neural cell types but also on the precise neural circuitry within them. How the generation of highly diverse neural populations is regulated during development remains a topic of interest. Landmark studies in Drosophila have identified the genetic and temporal cues regulating neural diversity and thus have provided valuable insights into our understanding of temporal patterning of the central nervous system. The development of the Drosophila central complex, which is mostly derived from type II neural stem cell (NSC) lineages, showcases how a small pool of NSCs can give rise to vast and distinct progeny. Similar to the human outer subventricular zone (OSVZ) neural progenitors, type II NSCs generate intermediate neural progenitors (INPs) to expand and diversify lineages that populate higher brain centers. Each type II NSC has a distinct spatial identity and timely regulated expression of many transcription factors and mRNA binding proteins. Additionally, INPs derived from them show differential expression of genes depending on their birth order. Together type II NSCs and INPs display a combinatorial temporal patterning that expands neural diversity of the central brain lineages. We cover advances in current understanding of type II NSC temporal patterning and discuss similarities and differences in temporal patterning mechanisms of various NSCs with a focus on how cell-intrinsic and extrinsic hormonal cues regulate temporal transitions in NSCs during larval development. Cell extrinsic ligands activate conserved signaling pathways and extrinsic hormonal cues act as a temporal switch that regulate temporal progression of the NSCs. We conclude by elaborating on how a progenitor's temporal code regulates the fate specification and identity of distinct neural types. At the end, we also discuss open questions in linking developmental cues to neural identity, circuits, and underlying behaviors in the adult fly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aisha Hamid
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87113, USA
| | - Andrew Gutierrez
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87113, USA
| | - Jordan Munroe
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
El-Danaf RN, Rajesh R, Desplan C. Temporal regulation of neural diversity in Drosophila and vertebrates. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 142:13-22. [PMID: 35623984 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The generation of neuronal diversity involves temporal patterning mechanisms by which a given progenitor sequentially produces multiple cell types. Several parallels are evident between the brain development programs of Drosophila and vertebrates, such as the successive emergence of specific cell types and the use of combinations of transcription factors to specify cell fates. Furthermore, cell-extrinsic cues such as hormones and signaling pathways have also been shown to be regulatory modules of temporal patterning. Recently, transcriptomic and epigenomic studies using large single-cell sequencing datasets have provided insights into the transcriptional dynamics of neurogenesis in the Drosophila and mammalian central nervous systems. We review these commonalities in the specification of neuronal identity and highlight the conserved or convergent strategies of brain development by discussing temporal patterning mechanisms found in flies and vertebrates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rana N El-Danaf
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology (CGSB), New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Raghuvanshi Rajesh
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology (CGSB), New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Claude Desplan
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology (CGSB), New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Li X, Syed MH. Time, space, and diversity. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 142:1-3. [PMID: 36100475 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xin Li
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Sen SQ. Generating neural diversity through spatial and temporal patterning. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 142:54-66. [PMID: 35738966 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The nervous system consists of a vast diversity of neurons and glia that are accurately assembled into functional circuits. What are the mechanisms that generate these diverse cell types? During development, an epithelial sheet with neurogenic potential is initially regionalised into spatially restricted domains of gene expression. From this, pools of neural stem cells (NSCs) with distinct molecular profiles and the potential to generate different neuron types, are specified. These NSCs then divide asymmetrically to self-renew and generate post-mitotic neurons or glia. As NSCs age, they experience transitions in gene expression, which further allows them to generate different neurons or glia over time. Versions of this general template of spatial and temporal patterning operate during the development of different parts of different nervous systems. Here, I cover our current knowledge of Drosophila brain and optic lobe development as well as the development of the vertebrate cortex and spinal cord within the framework of this above template. I highlight where our knowledge is lacking, where mechanisms beyond these might operate, and how the emergence of new technologies might help address unanswered questions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Q Sen
- Tata Institute for Genetics and Society, UAS-GKVK Campus, Bellary Road, Bangalore, India.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Zhang Y, Lowe S, Ding AZ, Li X. Axon targeting of Drosophila medulla projection neurons requires diffusible Netrin and is coordinated with neuroblast temporal patterning. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112144. [PMID: 36821439 PMCID: PMC10155933 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
How axon guidance pathways are utilized in coordination with temporal and spatial patterning of neural progenitors to regulate neuropil assembly is not well understood. We study this question in the Drosophila medulla using the transmedullary (Tm) projection neurons that target lobula through the inner optic chiasm (IOC). We demonstrate that the Netrin pathway plays multiple roles in guidance of Tm axons and that temporal patterning of medulla neuroblasts determines pioneer versus follower Tm neurons during this process. Loss of Frazzled (Fra) in early-born pioneer Tm neurons leads to IOC defects, while loss of Fra from follower neurons does not affect the IOC. In the follower projection neurons, Fra is required in other targeting steps including lobula branch extension and layer-specific targeting. Furthermore, different from other identified scenarios of Netrin/Fra involved axon guidance in Drosophila, we demonstrate that diffusible Netrin is required for the correct axon targeting and optic lobe organization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Scott Lowe
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Andrew Z Ding
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Zhang Y, Lowe S, Ding AZ, Li X. Notch-dependent binary fate choice regulates the Netrin pathway to control axon guidance of Drosophila visual projection neurons. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112143. [PMID: 36821442 PMCID: PMC10124989 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Notch-dependent binary fate choice between sister neurons is one of the mechanisms to generate neural diversity. How these upstream neural fate specification programs regulate downstream effector genes to control axon targeting and neuropil assembly remains less well understood. Here, we report that Notch-dependent binary fate choice in Drosophila medulla neurons is required to regulate the Netrin axon guidance pathway, which controls targeting of transmedullary (Tm) neurons to lobula. In medulla neurons of Notch-on hemilineage composed of mostly lobula-targeting neurons, Notch signaling is required to activate the expression of Netrin-B and repress the expression of its repulsive receptor Unc-5. Turning off Unc-5 is necessary for Tm neurons to target lobula. Furthermore, Netrin-B provided by Notch-on medulla neurons is required for correct targeting of Tm axons from later-generated medulla columns. Thus, the coordinate regulation of Netrin pathway components by Notch signaling ensures correct targeting of Tm axons and contributes to the neuropil assembly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Scott Lowe
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Andrew Z Ding
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Mannino MC, Bartels Cassidy M, Florez S, Rusan Z, Chakraborty S, Schoborg T. The neurodevelopmental transcriptome of the Drosophila melanogaster microcephaly gene abnormal spindle reveals a role for temporal transcription factors and the immune system in regulating brain size. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.09.523369. [PMID: 36711768 PMCID: PMC9882087 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.09.523369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The coordination of cellular behaviors during neurodevelopment is critical for determining the form, function, and size of the central nervous system. Mutations in the vertebrate Abnormal Spindle-Like, Microcephaly Associated (ASPM) gene and its Drosophila melanogaster ortholog abnormal spindle (asp) lead to microcephaly, a reduction in overall brain size whose etiology remains poorly defined. Here we provide the neurodevelopmental transcriptional landscape for a Drosophila model for autosomal recessive primary microcephaly (MCPH) and extend our findings into the functional realm in an attempt to identify the key cellular mechanisms responsible for Asp-dependent brain growth and development. We identify multiple transcriptomic signatures, including new patterns of co-expressed genes in the developing CNS. Defects in optic lobe neurogenesis were detected in larval brains through downregulation of temporal transcription factors (tTFs) and Notch signaling targets, which correlated with a significant reduction in brain size and total cell numbers during the neurogenic window of development. We also found inflammation as a hallmark of asp MCPH brains, detectable throughout every stage of CNS development, which also contributes to the brain size phenotype. Finally, we show that apoptosis is not a primary driver of the asp MCPH phenotype, further highlighting an intrinsic Asp-dependent neurogenesis promotion mechanism that is independent of cell death. Collectively, our results suggest that the etiology of asp MCPH is complex and that a comprehensive view of the cellular basis of the disorder requires an understanding of how multiple pathway inputs collectively determine the microcephaly phenotype.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria C. Mannino
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | | | - Steven Florez
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | | | - Shalini Chakraborty
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Todd Schoborg
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Özel MN, Gibbs CS, Holguera I, Soliman M, Bonneau R, Desplan C. Coordinated control of neuronal differentiation and wiring by sustained transcription factors. Science 2022; 378:eadd1884. [PMID: 36480601 DOI: 10.1126/science.add1884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The large diversity of cell types in nervous systems presents a challenge in identifying the genetic mechanisms that encode it. Here, we report that nearly 200 distinct neurons in the Drosophila visual system can each be defined by unique combinations of on average 10 continuously expressed transcription factors. We show that targeted modifications of this terminal selector code induce predictable conversions of neuronal fates that appear morphologically and transcriptionally complete. Cis-regulatory analysis of open chromatin links one of these genes to an upstream patterning factor that specifies neuronal fates in stem cells. Experimentally validated network models describe the synergistic regulation of downstream effectors by terminal selectors and ecdysone signaling during brain wiring. Our results provide a generalizable framework of how specific fates are implemented in postmitotic neurons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Claudia Skok Gibbs
- Flatiron Institute, Center for Computational Biology, Simons Foundation, New York, NY 10010, USA.,Center for Data Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Isabel Holguera
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Mennah Soliman
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Richard Bonneau
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.,Flatiron Institute, Center for Computational Biology, Simons Foundation, New York, NY 10010, USA.,Center for Data Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Claude Desplan
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.,New York University Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Sato M, Suzuki T. Cutting edge technologies expose the temporal regulation of neurogenesis in the Drosophila nervous system. Fly (Austin) 2022; 16:222-232. [PMID: 35549651 PMCID: PMC9116403 DOI: 10.1080/19336934.2022.2073158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
During the development of the central nervous system (CNS), extremely large numbers of neurons are produced in a regular fashion to form precise neural circuits. During this process, neural progenitor cells produce different neurons over time due to their intrinsic gene regulatory mechanisms as well as extrinsic mechanisms. The Drosophila CNS has played an important role in elucidating the temporal mechanisms that control neurogenesis over time. It has been shown that a series of temporal transcription factors are sequentially expressed in neural progenitor cells and regulate the temporal specification of neurons in the embryonic CNS. Additionally, similar mechanisms are found in the developing optic lobe and central brain in the larval CNS. However, it is difficult to elucidate the function of numerous molecules in many different cell types solely by molecular genetic approaches. Recently, omics analysis using single-cell RNA-seq and other methods has been used to study the Drosophila nervous system on a large scale and is making a significant contribution to the understanding of the temporal mechanisms of neurogenesis. In this article, recent findings on the temporal patterning of neurogenesis and the contributions of cutting-edge technologies will be reviewed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Sato
- Mathematical Neuroscience Unit, Institute for Frontier Science Initiative,Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Takumi Suzuki
- College of Science, Department of Science, Ibaraki University, Ibaraki, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Ray A, Li X. A Notch-dependent transcriptional mechanism controls expression of temporal patterning factors in Drosophila medulla. eLife 2022; 11:e75879. [PMID: 36040415 PMCID: PMC9427115 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Temporal patterning is an important mechanism for generating a great diversity of neuron subtypes from a seemingly homogenous progenitor pool in both vertebrates and invertebrates. Drosophila neuroblasts are temporally patterned by sequentially expressed Temporal Transcription Factors (TTFs). These TTFs are proposed to form a transcriptional cascade based on mutant phenotypes, although direct transcriptional regulation between TTFs has not been verified in most cases. Furthermore, it is not known how the temporal transitions are coupled with the generation of the appropriate number of neurons at each stage. We use neuroblasts of the Drosophila optic lobe medulla to address these questions and show that the expression of TTFs Sloppy-paired 1/2 (Slp1/2) is directly regulated at the transcriptional level by two other TTFs and the cell-cycle dependent Notch signaling through two cis-regulatory elements. We also show that supplying constitutively active Notch can rescue the delayed transition into the Slp stage in cell cycle arrested neuroblasts. Our findings reveal a novel Notch-pathway dependent mechanism through which the cell cycle progression regulates the timing of a temporal transition within a TTF transcriptional cascade.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alokananda Ray
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Tang JLY, Hakes AE, Krautz R, Suzuki T, Contreras EG, Fox PM, Brand AH. NanoDam identifies Homeobrain (ARX) and Scarecrow (NKX2.1) as conserved temporal factors in the Drosophila central brain and visual system. Dev Cell 2022; 57:1193-1207.e7. [PMID: 35483359 PMCID: PMC9616798 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Temporal patterning of neural progenitors is an evolutionarily conserved strategy for generating neuronal diversity. Type II neural stem cells in the Drosophila central brain produce transit-amplifying intermediate neural progenitors (INPs) that exhibit temporal patterning. However, the known temporal factors cannot account for the neuronal diversity in the adult brain. To search for missing factors, we developed NanoDam, which enables rapid genome-wide profiling of endogenously tagged proteins in vivo with a single genetic cross. Mapping the targets of known temporal transcription factors with NanoDam revealed that Homeobrain and Scarecrow (ARX and NKX2.1 orthologs) are also temporal factors. We show that Homeobrain and Scarecrow define middle-aged and late INP temporal windows and play a role in cellular longevity. Strikingly, Homeobrain and Scarecrow have conserved functions as temporal factors in the developing visual system. NanoDam enables rapid cell-type-specific genome-wide profiling with temporal resolution and is easily adapted for use in higher organisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jocelyn L Y Tang
- Gurdon Institute and Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Anna E Hakes
- Gurdon Institute and Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Robert Krautz
- Gurdon Institute and Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Takumi Suzuki
- Gurdon Institute and Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Esteban G Contreras
- Gurdon Institute and Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Paul M Fox
- Gurdon Institute and Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Andrea H Brand
- Gurdon Institute and Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Konstantinides N, Holguera I, Rossi AM, Escobar A, Dudragne L, Chen YC, Tran TN, Martínez Jaimes AM, Özel MN, Simon F, Shao Z, Tsankova NM, Fullard JF, Walldorf U, Roussos P, Desplan C. A complete temporal transcription factor series in the fly visual system. Nature 2022; 604:316-322. [PMID: 35388222 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04564-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The brain consists of thousands of neuronal types that are generated by stem cells producing different neuronal types as they age. In Drosophila, this temporal patterning is driven by the successive expression of temporal transcription factors (tTFs)1-6. Here we used single-cell mRNA sequencing to identify the complete series of tTFs that specify most Drosophila optic lobe neurons. We verify that tTFs regulate the progression of the series by activating the next tTF(s) and repressing the previous one(s), and also identify more complex mechanisms of regulation. Moreover, we establish the temporal window of origin and birth order of each neuronal type in the medulla and provide evidence that these tTFs are sufficient to explain the generation of all of the neuronal diversity in this brain region. Finally, we describe the first steps of neuronal differentiation and show that these steps are conserved in humans. We find that terminal differentiation genes, such as neurotransmitter-related genes, are present as transcripts, but not as proteins, in immature larval neurons. This comprehensive analysis of a temporal series of tTFs in the optic lobe offers mechanistic insights into how tTF series are regulated, and how they can lead to the generation of a complete set of neurons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Konstantinides
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA. .,Université de Paris, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, Paris, France.
| | - Isabel Holguera
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anthony M Rossi
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neurobiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Yen-Chung Chen
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Thinh N Tran
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.,Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | | | | | - Félix Simon
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zhiping Shao
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nadejda M Tsankova
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - John F Fullard
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Uwe Walldorf
- Developmental Biology, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Panos Roussos
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (VISN 2 South), James J. Peters VA Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Claude Desplan
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA. .,Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Chen YC, Konstantinides N. Integration of Spatial and Temporal Patterning in the Invertebrate and Vertebrate Nervous System. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:854422. [PMID: 35392413 PMCID: PMC8981590 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.854422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The nervous system is one of the most sophisticated animal tissues, consisting of thousands of interconnected cell types. How the nervous system develops its diversity from a few neural stem cells remains a challenging question. Spatial and temporal patterning mechanisms provide an efficient model through which diversity can be generated. The molecular mechanism of spatiotemporal patterning has been studied extensively in Drosophila melanogaster, where distinct sets of transcription factors define the spatial domains and temporal windows that give rise to different cell types. Similarly, in vertebrates, spatial domains defined by transcription factors produce different types of neurons in the brain and neural tube. At the same time, different cortical neuronal types are generated within the same cell lineage with a specific birth order. However, we still do not understand how the orthogonal information of spatial and temporal patterning is integrated into the progenitor and post-mitotic cells to combinatorially give rise to different neurons. In this review, after introducing spatial and temporal patterning in Drosophila and mice, we discuss possible mechanisms that neural progenitors may use to integrate spatial and temporal information. We finally review the functional implications of spatial and temporal patterning and conclude envisaging how small alterations of these mechanisms can lead to the evolution of new neuronal cell types.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Chung Chen
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: Yen-Chung Chen,
| | - Nikolaos Konstantinides
- Université de Paris, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut Jacques Monod, Paris, France
- Nikolaos Konstantinides,
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Zhu H, Zhao SD, Ray A, Zhang Y, Li X. A comprehensive temporal patterning gene network in Drosophila medulla neuroblasts revealed by single-cell RNA sequencing. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1247. [PMID: 35273186 PMCID: PMC8913700 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28915-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
During development, neural progenitors are temporally patterned to sequentially generate a variety of neural types. In Drosophila neural progenitors called neuroblasts, temporal patterning is regulated by cascades of Temporal Transcription Factors (TTFs). However, known TTFs were mostly identified through candidate approaches and may not be complete. In addition, many fundamental questions remain concerning the TTF cascade initiation, progression, and termination. In this work, we use single-cell RNA sequencing of Drosophila medulla neuroblasts of all ages to identify a list of previously unknown TTFs, and experimentally characterize their roles in temporal patterning and neuronal specification. Our study reveals a comprehensive temporal gene network that patterns medulla neuroblasts from start to end. Furthermore, the speed of the cascade progression is regulated by Lola transcription factors expressed in all medulla neuroblasts. Our comprehensive study of the medulla neuroblast temporal cascade illustrates mechanisms that may be conserved in the temporal patterning of neural progenitors. During development, neural progenitors generate a variety of neural types sequentially. Here the authors examine gene expression patterns in Drosophila neural progenitors at single-cell level, and identify a gene regulatory network controlling the sequential generation of different neural types.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hailun Zhu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Sihai Dave Zhao
- Department of Statistics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Alokananda Ray
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Hildebrandt K, Kolb D, Klöppel C, Kaspar P, Wittling F, Hartwig O, Federspiel J, Findji I, Walldorf U. Regulatory modules mediating the complex neural expression patterns of the homeobrain gene during Drosophila brain development. Hereditas 2022; 159:2. [PMID: 34983686 PMCID: PMC8728971 DOI: 10.1186/s41065-021-00218-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The homeobox gene homeobrain (hbn) is located in the 57B region together with two other homeobox genes, Drosophila Retinal homeobox (DRx) and orthopedia (otp). All three genes encode transcription factors with important functions in brain development. Hbn mutants are embryonic lethal and characterized by a reduction in the anterior protocerebrum, including the mushroom bodies, and a loss of the supraoesophageal brain commissure. RESULTS In this study we conducted a detailed expression analysis of Hbn in later developmental stages. In the larval brain, Hbn is expressed in all type II lineages and the optic lobes, including the medulla and lobula plug. The gene is expressed in the cortex of the medulla and the lobula rim in the adult brain. We generated a new hbnKOGal4 enhancer trap strain by reintegrating Gal4 in the hbn locus through gene targeting, which reflects the complete hbn expression during development. Eight different enhancer-Gal4 strains covering 12 kb upstream of hbn, the two large introns and 5 kb downstream of the gene, were established and hbn expression was investigated. We characterized several enhancers that drive expression in specific areas of the brain throughout development, from embryo to the adulthood. Finally, we generated deletions of four of these enhancer regions through gene targeting and analysed their effects on the expression and function of hbn. CONCLUSION The complex expression of Hbn in the developing brain is regulated by several specific enhancers within the hbn locus. Each enhancer fragment drives hbn expression in several specific cell lineages, and with largely overlapping patterns, suggesting the presence of shadow enhancers and enhancer redundancy. Specific enhancer deletion strains generated by gene targeting display developmental defects in the brain. This analysis opens an avenue for a deeper analysis of hbn regulatory elements in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Hildebrandt
- Developmental Biology, Saarland University, Building 61, 66421, Homburg/Saar, Germany
| | - Dieter Kolb
- Developmental Biology, Saarland University, Building 61, 66421, Homburg/Saar, Germany
| | - Christine Klöppel
- Developmental Biology, Saarland University, Building 61, 66421, Homburg/Saar, Germany
| | - Petra Kaspar
- Developmental Biology, Saarland University, Building 61, 66421, Homburg/Saar, Germany
- Present address: COS Heidelberg, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Fabienne Wittling
- Developmental Biology, Saarland University, Building 61, 66421, Homburg/Saar, Germany
- Present address: Hemholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Saarland University, Building E8.1, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Olga Hartwig
- Developmental Biology, Saarland University, Building 61, 66421, Homburg/Saar, Germany
- Present address: Hemholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Saarland University, Building E8.1, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Jannic Federspiel
- Developmental Biology, Saarland University, Building 61, 66421, Homburg/Saar, Germany
| | - India Findji
- Developmental Biology, Saarland University, Building 61, 66421, Homburg/Saar, Germany
| | - Uwe Walldorf
- Developmental Biology, Saarland University, Building 61, 66421, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of temporal patterning in neural progenitors. Dev Biol 2021; 481:116-128. [PMID: 34666024 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
During development, neural progenitors undergo temporal patterning as they age to sequentially generate differently fated progeny. Temporal patterning of neural progenitors is relatively well-studied in Drosophila. Temporal cascades of transcription factors or opposing temporal gradients of RNA-binding proteins are expressed in neural progenitors as they age to control the fates of the progeny. The temporal progression is mostly driven by intrinsic mechanisms including cross-regulations between temporal genes, but environmental cues also play important roles in certain transitions. Vertebrate neural progenitors demonstrate greater plasticity in response to extrinsic cues. Recent studies suggest that vertebrate neural progenitors are also temporally patterned by a combination of transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms in response to extracellular signaling to regulate neural fate specification. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the study of temporal patterning of neural progenitors in Drosophila and vertebrates. We also discuss the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms, specifically the Polycomb group complexes and ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes, in the temporal patterning of neural progenitors.
Collapse
|
24
|
Simon F, Konstantinides N. Single-cell transcriptomics in the Drosophila visual system: Advances and perspectives on cell identity regulation, connectivity, and neuronal diversity evolution. Dev Biol 2021; 479:107-122. [PMID: 34375653 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The Drosophila visual system supports complex behaviors and shares many of its anatomical and molecular features with the vertebrate brain. Yet, it contains a much more manageable number of neurons and neuronal types. In addition to the extensive Drosophila genetic toolbox, this relative simplicity has allowed decades of work to yield a detailed account of its neuronal type diversity, morphology, connectivity and specification mechanisms. In the past three years, numerous studies have applied large scale single-cell transcriptomic approaches to the Drosophila visual system and have provided access to the complete gene expression profile of most neuronal types throughout development. This makes the fly visual system particularly well suited to perform detailed studies of the genetic mechanisms underlying the evolution and development of neuronal systems. Here, we highlight how these transcriptomic resources allow exploring long-standing biological questions under a new light. We first present the efforts made to characterize neuronal diversity in the Drosophila visual system and suggest ways to further improve this description. We then discuss current advances allowed by the single-cell datasets, and envisage how these datasets can be further leveraged to address fundamental questions regarding the regulation of neuronal identity, neuronal circuit development and the evolution of neuronal diversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Félix Simon
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA.
| | - Nikolaos Konstantinides
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA; Institut Jacques Monod, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-UMR 7592, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Abstract
The temporal coordination of events at cellular and tissue scales is essential for the proper development of organisms, and involves cell-intrinsic processes that can be coupled by local cellular signalling and instructed by global signalling, thereby creating spatial patterns of cellular states that change over time. The timing and structure of these patterns determine how an organism develops. Traditional developmental genetic methods have revealed the complex molecular circuits regulating these processes but are limited in their ability to predict and understand the emergent spatio-temporal dynamics. Increasingly, approaches from physics are now being used to help capture the dynamics of the system by providing simplified, generic descriptions. Combined with advances in imaging and computational power, such approaches aim to provide insight into timing and patterning in developing systems.
Collapse
|
26
|
Neural specification, targeting, and circuit formation during visual system assembly. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2101823118. [PMID: 34183440 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2101823118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Like other sensory systems, the visual system is topographically organized: Its sensory neurons, the photoreceptors, and their targets maintain point-to-point correspondence in physical space, forming a retinotopic map. The iterative wiring of circuits in the visual system conveniently facilitates the study of its development. Over the past few decades, experiments in Drosophila have shed light on the principles that guide the specification and connectivity of visual system neurons. In this review, we describe the main findings unearthed by the study of the Drosophila visual system and compare them with similar events in mammals. We focus on how temporal and spatial patterning generates diverse cell types, how guidance molecules distribute the axons and dendrites of neurons within the correct target regions, how vertebrates and invertebrates generate their retinotopic map, and the molecules and mechanisms required for neuronal migration. We suggest that basic principles used to wire the fly visual system are broadly applicable to other systems and highlight its importance as a model to study nervous system development.
Collapse
|
27
|
Intracellular trafficking of Notch orchestrates temporal dynamics of Notch activity in the fly brain. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2083. [PMID: 33828096 PMCID: PMC8027629 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22442-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
While Delta non-autonomously activates Notch in neighboring cells, it autonomously inactivates Notch through cis-inhibition, the molecular mechanism and biological roles of which remain elusive. The wave of differentiation in the Drosophila brain, the ‘proneural wave’, is an excellent model for studying Notch signaling in vivo. Here, we show that strong nonlinearity in cis-inhibition reproduces the second peak of Notch activity behind the proneural wave in silico. Based on this, we demonstrate that Delta expression induces a quick degradation of Notch in late endosomes and the formation of the twin peaks of Notch activity in vivo. Indeed, the amount of Notch is upregulated and the twin peaks are fused forming a single peak when the function of Delta or late endosomes is compromised. Additionally, we show that the second Notch peak behind the wavefront controls neurogenesis. Thus, intracellular trafficking of Notch orchestrates the temporal dynamics of Notch activity and the temporal patterning of neurogenesis. During Drosophila development, two peaks of Notch activity propagate across the neuroepithelium to generate neuroblasts. Here, the authors show Notch cis-inhibition under the control of intracellular Notch trafficking establishes these two peaks, which temporally control neurogenesis in the brain.
Collapse
|
28
|
Shard C, Luna-Escalante J, Schweisguth F. Tissue-wide coordination of epithelium-to-neural stem cell transition in the Drosophila optic lobe requires Neuralized. J Cell Biol 2021; 219:152101. [PMID: 32946560 PMCID: PMC7594497 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202005035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Many tissues are produced by specialized progenitor cells emanating from epithelia via epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Most studies have so far focused on EMT involving single or isolated groups of cells. Here we describe an EMT-like process that requires tissue-level coordination. This EMT-like process occurs along a continuous front in the Drosophila optic lobe neuroepithelium to produce neural stem cells (NSCs). We find that emerging NSCs remain epithelial and apically constrict before dividing asymmetrically to produce neurons. Apical constriction is associated with contractile myosin pulses and involves RhoGEF3 and down-regulation of the Crumbs complex by the E3 ubiquitin ligase Neuralized. Anisotropy in Crumbs complex levels also results in accumulation of junctional myosin. Disrupting the regulation of Crumbs by Neuralized lowered junctional myosin and led to imprecision in the integration of emerging NSCs into the front. Thus, Neuralized promotes smooth progression of the differentiation front by coupling epithelium remodeling at the tissue level with NSC fate acquisition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Shard
- Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,UMR3738, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| | - Juan Luna-Escalante
- Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,UMR3738, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France.,Laboratoire de Physique, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | - François Schweisguth
- Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,UMR3738, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Drosophila Fezf functions as a transcriptional repressor to direct layer-specific synaptic connectivity in the fly visual system. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2025530118. [PMID: 33766917 PMCID: PMC8020669 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2025530118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Functionally relevant neuronal connections are often organized within discrete layers of neuropil to ensure proper connectivity and information processing. While layer-specific assembly of neuronal connectivity is a dynamic process involving stepwise interactions between different neuron types, the mechanisms underlying this critical developmental process are not well understood. Here, we investigate the role of the transcription factor dFezf in layer selection within the Drosophila visual system, which is important for synaptic specificity. Our findings show that dFezf functions as a transcriptional repressor governing the precise temporal expression pattern of downstream genes, including other transcription factors required for proper connectivity. Layer-specific assembly of neuronal connectivity in the fly visual system is thus orchestrated by precise, temporally controlled transcriptional cascades. The layered compartmentalization of synaptic connections, a common feature of nervous systems, underlies proper connectivity between neurons and enables parallel processing of neural information. However, the stepwise development of layered neuronal connections is not well understood. The medulla neuropil of the Drosophila visual system, which comprises 10 discrete layers (M1 to M10), where neural computations underlying distinct visual features are processed, serves as a model system for understanding layered synaptic connectivity. The first step in establishing layer-specific connectivity in the outer medulla (M1 to M6) is the innervation by lamina (L) neurons of one of two broad, primordial domains that will subsequently expand and transform into discrete layers. We previously found that the transcription factor dFezf cell-autonomously directs L3 lamina neurons to their proper primordial broad domain before they form synapses within the developing M3 layer. Here, we show that dFezf controls L3 broad domain selection through temporally precise transcriptional repression of the transcription factor slp1 (sloppy paired 1). In wild-type L3 neurons, slp1 is transiently expressed at a low level during broad domain selection. When dFezf is deleted, slp1 expression is up-regulated, and ablation of slp1 fully rescues the defect of broad domain selection in dFezf-null L3 neurons. Although the early, transient expression of slp1 is expendable for broad domain selection, it is surprisingly necessary for the subsequent L3 innervation of the M3 layer. DFezf thus functions as a transcriptional repressor to coordinate the temporal dynamics of a transcriptional cascade that orchestrates sequential steps of layer-specific synapse formation.
Collapse
|
30
|
Clark BS, Miesfeld JB, Flinn MA, Collery RF, Link BA. Dynamic Polarization of Rab11a Modulates Crb2a Localization and Impacts Signaling to Regulate Retinal Neurogenesis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 8:608112. [PMID: 33634099 PMCID: PMC7900515 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.608112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Interkinetic nuclear migration (IKNM) is the process in which pseudostratified epithelial nuclei oscillate from the apical to basal surface and in phase with the mitotic cycle. In the zebrafish retina, neuroepithelial retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) increase Notch activity with apical movement of the nuclei, and the depth of nuclear migration correlates with the probability that the next cell division will be neurogenic. This study focuses on the mechanisms underlying the relationships between IKNM, cell signaling, and neurogenesis. In particular, we have explored the role IKNM has on endosome biology within RPCs. Through genetic manipulation and live imaging in zebrafish, we find that early (Rab5-positive) and recycling (Rab11a-positive) endosomes polarize in a dynamic fashion within RPCs and with reference to nuclear position. Functional analyses suggest that dynamic polarization of recycling endosomes and their activity within the neuroepithelia modulates the subcellular localization of Crb2a, consequently affecting multiple signaling pathways that impact neurogenesis including Notch, Hippo, and Wnt activities. As nuclear migration is heterogenous and asynchronous among RPCs, Rab11a-affected signaling within the neuroepithelia is modulated in a differential manner, providing mechanistic insight to the correlation of IKNM and selection of RPCs to undergo neurogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian S Clark
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Joel B Miesfeld
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Michael A Flinn
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States.,Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Ross F Collery
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Medical College of Wisconsin Eye Institute, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Brian A Link
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Rossi AM, Jafari S, Desplan C. Integrated Patterning Programs During Drosophila Development Generate the Diversity of Neurons and Control Their Mature Properties. Annu Rev Neurosci 2021; 44:153-172. [PMID: 33556251 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-102120-014813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
During the approximately 5 days of Drosophila neurogenesis (late embryogenesis to the beginning of pupation), a limited number of neural stem cells produce approximately 200,000 neurons comprising hundreds of cell types. To build a functional nervous system, neuronal types need to be produced in the proper places, appropriate numbers, and correct times. We discuss how neural stem cells (neuroblasts) obtain so-called area codes for their positions in the nervous system (spatial patterning) and how they keep time to sequentially produce neurons with unique fates (temporal patterning). We focus on specific examples that demonstrate how a relatively simple patterning system (Notch) can be used reiteratively to generate different neuronal types. We also speculate on how different modes of temporal patterning that operate over short versus long time periods might be linked. We end by discussing how specification programs are integrated and lead to the terminal features of different neuronal types.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anthony M Rossi
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA; .,Department of Neurobiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Shadi Jafari
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA;
| | - Claude Desplan
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Islam IM, Ng J, Valentino P, Erclik T. Identification of enhancers that drive the spatially restricted expression of Vsx1 and Rx in the outer proliferation center of the developing Drosophila optic lobe. Genome 2020; 64:109-117. [PMID: 33054400 DOI: 10.1139/gen-2020-0034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Combinatorial spatial and temporal patterning of stem cells is a powerful mechanism for the generation of neural diversity in insect and vertebrate nervous systems. In the developing Drosophila medulla, the neural stem cells of the outer proliferation center (OPC) are spatially patterned by the mutually exclusive expression of three homeobox transcription factors: Vsx1 in the center of the OPC crescent (cOPC), Optix in the main arms (mOPC), and Rx in the posterior tips (pOPC). These spatial factors act together with a temporal cascade of transcription factors in OPC neuroblasts to specify the greater than 80 medulla cell types. Here, we identify the enhancers that are sufficient to drive the spatially restricted expression of the Vsx1 and Rx genes in the OPC. We show that removal of the cOPC enhancer in the Muddled inversion mutant leads to the loss of Vsx1 expression in the cOPC. Analysis of the evolutionarily conserved sequences within these enhancers suggests that direct repression by Optix may restrict the expression of Vsx1 and Rx to the cOPC and pOPC, respectively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ishrat Maliha Islam
- Departments of Biology and Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto - Mississauga, Mississauga, ON., Canada
| | - June Ng
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, USA
| | - Priscilla Valentino
- Departments of Biology and Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto - Mississauga, Mississauga, ON., Canada
| | - Ted Erclik
- Departments of Biology and Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto - Mississauga, Mississauga, ON., Canada
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Ravenscroft TA, Janssens J, Lee PT, Tepe B, Marcogliese PC, Makhzami S, Holmes TC, Aerts S, Bellen HJ. Drosophila Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels Are Only Expressed in Active Neurons and Are Localized to Distal Axonal Initial Segment-like Domains. J Neurosci 2020; 40:7999-8024. [PMID: 32928889 PMCID: PMC7574647 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0142-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In multipolar vertebrate neurons, action potentials (APs) initiate close to the soma, at the axonal initial segment. Invertebrate neurons are typically unipolar with dendrites integrating directly into the axon. Where APs are initiated in the axons of invertebrate neurons is unclear. Voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels are a functional hallmark of the axonal initial segment in vertebrates. We used an intronic Minos-Mediated Integration Cassette to determine the endogenous gene expression and subcellular localization of the sole NaV channel in both male and female Drosophila, para Despite being the only NaV channel in the fly, we show that only 23 ± 1% of neurons in the embryonic and larval CNS express para, while in the adult CNS para is broadly expressed. We generated a single-cell transcriptomic atlas of the whole third instar larval brain to identify para expressing neurons and show that it positively correlates with markers of differentiated, actively firing neurons. Therefore, only 23 ± 1% of larval neurons may be capable of firing NaV-dependent APs. We then show that Para is enriched in an axonal segment, distal to the site of dendritic integration into the axon, which we named the distal axonal segment (DAS). The DAS is present in multiple neuron classes in both the third instar larval and adult CNS. Whole cell patch clamp electrophysiological recordings of adult CNS fly neurons are consistent with the interpretation that Nav-dependent APs originate in the DAS. Identification of the distal NaV localization in fly neurons will enable more accurate interpretation of electrophysiological recordings in invertebrates.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The site of action potential (AP) initiation in invertebrates is unknown. We tagged the sole voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channel in the fly, para, and identified that Para is enriched at a distal axonal segment. The distal axonal segment is located distal to where dendrites impinge on axons and is the likely site of AP initiation. Understanding where APs are initiated improves our ability to model neuronal activity and our interpretation of electrophysiological data. Additionally, para is only expressed in 23 ± 1% of third instar larval neurons but is broadly expressed in adults. Single-cell RNA sequencing of the third instar larval brain shows that para expression correlates with the expression of active, differentiated neuronal markers. Therefore, only 23 ± 1% of third instar larval neurons may be able to actively fire NaV-dependent APs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Ravenscroft
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Jasper Janssens
- VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Pei-Tseng Lee
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Burak Tepe
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Paul C Marcogliese
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Samira Makhzami
- VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Todd C Holmes
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California 92697
| | - Stein Aerts
- VIB Center for Brain & Disease Research, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Hugo J Bellen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Han X, Wang M, Liu C, Trush O, Takayama R, Akiyama T, Naito T, Tomomizu T, Imamura K, Sato M. DWnt4 and DWnt10 Regulate Morphogenesis and Arrangement of Columnar Units via Fz2/PCP Signaling in the Drosophila Brain. Cell Rep 2020; 33:108305. [PMID: 33113378 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 09/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Columns are structural and functional units of the brain. However, the mechanism of column formation remains unclear. The medulla of the fly visual center shares features with the mammalian cerebral cortex, such as columnar and layered structures, and provides a good opportunity to study the mechanisms of column formation. Column formation is initiated by three core neurons in the medulla, namely, Mi1, R8, and R7. The proper orientation of neurons is required for the orientation and arrangement of multiple columns. Their orientations may be under the control of planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling, because it is known to regulate the orientation of cells in two-dimensional tissue structures. In this study, we demonstrate that the ligands DWnt4 and DWnt10 expressed specifically in the ventral medulla and dorsal medulla, respectively, globally regulate the columnar arrangement and orientation of Mi1 and R8 terminals through Fz2/PCP signaling in a three-dimensional space.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xujun Han
- Mathematical Neuroscience Unit, Institute for Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan; Nano Life Science Institute, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Miaoxing Wang
- Mathematical Neuroscience Unit, Institute for Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Chuyan Liu
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Olena Trush
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Rie Takayama
- Mathematical Neuroscience Unit, Institute for Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Takaaki Akiyama
- Division of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Toshiki Naito
- Graduate School of Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Takeshi Tomomizu
- Graduate School of Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Kousuke Imamura
- Faculty of Electrical, Information and Communication Engineering, Institute of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Makoto Sato
- Mathematical Neuroscience Unit, Institute for Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan; Graduate School of Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Liu C, Trush O, Han X, Wang M, Takayama R, Yasugi T, Hayashi T, Sato M. Dscam1 establishes the columnar units through lineage-dependent repulsion between sister neurons in the fly brain. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4067. [PMID: 32792493 PMCID: PMC7426427 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17931-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain is organized morphologically and functionally into a columnar structure. According to the radial unit hypothesis, neurons from the same lineage form a radial unit that contributes to column formation. However, the molecular mechanisms that link neuronal lineage and column formation remain elusive. Here, we show that neurons from the same lineage project to different columns under control of Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (Dscam) in the fly brain. Dscam1 is temporally expressed in newly born neuroblasts and is inherited by their daughter neurons. The transient transcription of Dscam1 in neuroblasts enables the expression of the same Dscam1 splice isoform within cells of the same lineage, causing lineage-dependent repulsion. In the absence of Dscam1 function, neurons from the same lineage project to the same column. When the splice diversity of Dscam1 is reduced, column formation is significantly compromised. Thus, Dscam1 controls column formation through lineage-dependent repulsion. Columns are the functional and morphological unit of the brain, but how neurons assemble into this structure was unclear. Here, the authors show that Dscam gene rewires neurons that derive from the same stem cell to establish columns through the process of lineage-dependent repulsion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chuyan Liu
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, 920-8640, Japan
| | - Olena Trush
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, 920-8640, Japan
| | - Xujun Han
- Mathematical Neuroscience Unit, Institute for Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, 920-8640, Japan
| | - Miaoxing Wang
- Mathematical Neuroscience Unit, Institute for Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, 920-8640, Japan
| | - Rie Takayama
- Mathematical Neuroscience Unit, Institute for Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, 920-8640, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Yasugi
- Mathematical Neuroscience Unit, Institute for Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, 920-8640, Japan
| | - Takashi Hayashi
- Mathematical Neuroscience Unit, Institute for Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, 920-8640, Japan
| | - Makoto Sato
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, 920-8640, Japan. .,Mathematical Neuroscience Unit, Institute for Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, 920-8640, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Naidu VG, Zhang Y, Lowe S, Ray A, Zhu H, Li X. Temporal progression of Drosophila medulla neuroblasts generates the transcription factor combination to control T1 neuron morphogenesis. Dev Biol 2020; 464:35-44. [PMID: 32442418 PMCID: PMC7377279 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Proper neural function depends on the correct specification of individual neural fates, controlled by combinations of neuronal transcription factors. Different neural types are sequentially generated by neural progenitors in a defined order, and this temporal patterning process can be controlled by Temporal Transcription Factors (TTFs) that form temporal cascades in neural progenitors. The Drosophila medulla, part of the visual processing center of the brain, contains more than 70 neural types generated by medulla neuroblasts which sequentially express several TTFs, including Homothorax (Hth), eyeless (Ey), Sloppy paired 1 and 2 (Slp), Dichaete (D) and Tailless (Tll). However, it is not clear how such a small number of TTFs could give rise to diverse combinations of neuronal transcription factors that specify a large number of medulla neuron types. Here we report how temporal patterning specifies one neural type, the T1 neuron. We show that the T1 neuron is the only medulla neuron type that expresses the combination of three transcription factors Ocelliless (Oc or Otd), Sox102F and Ets65A. Using CRISPR-Cas9 system, we show that each transcription factor is required for the correct morphogenesis of T1 neurons. Interestingly, Oc, Sox102F and Ets65A initiate expression in neurons beginning at different temporal stages and last in a few subsequent temporal stages. Oc expressing neurons are generated in the Ey, Slp and D stages; Sox102F expressing neurons are produced in the Slp and D stages; while Ets65A is expressed in subsets of medulla neurons born in the D and later stages. The TTF Ey, Slp or D is required to initiate the expression of Oc, Sox102F or Ets65A in neurons, respectively. Thus, the neurons expressing all three transcription factors are born in the D stage and become T1 neurons. In neurons where the three transcription factors do not overlap, each of the three transcription factors can act in combination with other neuronal transcription factors to specify different neural fates. We show that this way of expression regulation of neuronal transcription factors by temporal patterning can generate more possible combinations of transcription factors in neural progeny to diversify neural fates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vamsikrishna G Naidu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Scott Lowe
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Alokananda Ray
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Hailun Zhu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Mira H, Morante J. Neurogenesis From Embryo to Adult - Lessons From Flies and Mice. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:533. [PMID: 32695783 PMCID: PMC7339912 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The human brain is composed of billions of cells, including neurons and glia, with an undetermined number of subtypes. During the embryonic and early postnatal stages, the vast majority of these cells are generated from neural progenitors and stem cells located in all regions of the neural tube. A smaller number of neurons will continue to be generated throughout our lives, in localized neurogenic zones, mainly confined at least in rodents to the subependymal zone of the lateral ventricles and the subgranular zone of the hippocampal dentate gyrus. During neurogenesis, a combination of extrinsic cues interacting with temporal and regional intrinsic programs are thought to be critical for increasing neuronal diversity, but their underlying mechanisms need further elucidation. In this review, we discuss the recent findings in Drosophila and mammals on the types of cell division and cell interactions used by neural progenitors and stem cells to sustain neurogenesis, and how they are influenced by glia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Helena Mira
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Valencia, Spain
| | - Javier Morante
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas y Universidad Miguel Hernandez, Alicante, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Maierbrugger KT, Sousa-Nunes R, Bateman JM. The mTOR pathway component Unkempt regulates neural stem cell and neural progenitor cell cycle in the Drosophila central nervous system. Dev Biol 2020; 461:55-65. [PMID: 31978396 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The formation of a complex nervous system requires the coordinated action of progenitor cell proliferation, differentiation and maturation. The Drosophila postembryonic central nervous system provides a powerful model for dissecting the cellular and molecular mechanisms underpinning neurogenesis. We previously identified the conserved zinc finger/RING protein Unkempt (Unk) as a key temporal regulator of neuronal differentiation in the Drosophila developing eye and showed that Unk acts downstream of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway together with its binding partner Headcase (Hdc). Here we investigate the role of Unk in Drosophila postembryonic thoracic neurogenesis. The Drosophila central nervous system contains neural stem cells, called neuroblasts, and neural progenitors, known as ganglion mother cells (GMCs). Unk is highly expressed in the central brain and ventral nerve cord but is not required to maintain neuroblast numbers or for the regulation of temporal series factor expression in neuroblasts. However, loss of Unk increases the number of neuroblasts and GMCs in S-phase of the cell cycle, resulting in the overproduction of neurons. We also show that Unk interacts with Hdc through its zinc finger domain. The zinc finger domain is required for the synergistic activity of Unk with Hdc during eye development but is not necessary for the activity of Unk in thoracic neurogenesis. Overall, this study shows that Unk and Hdc are novel negative regulators of neurogenesis in Drosophila and indicates a conserved role of mTOR signalling in nervous system development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katja T Maierbrugger
- Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King's College London, 125 Coldharbour lane, London, SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Rita Sousa-Nunes
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, New Hunts House, Newcomen Street, London, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Joseph M Bateman
- Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King's College London, 125 Coldharbour lane, London, SE5 9NU, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Chen YC, Desplan C. Gene regulatory networks during the development of the Drosophila visual system. Curr Top Dev Biol 2020; 139:89-125. [PMID: 32450970 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2020.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The Drosophila visual system integrates input from 800 ommatidia and extracts different features in stereotypically connected optic ganglia. The development of the Drosophila visual system is controlled by gene regulatory networks that control the number of precursor cells, generate neuronal diversity by integrating spatial and temporal information, coordinate the timing of retinal and optic lobe cell differentiation, and determine distinct synaptic targets of each cell type. In this chapter, we describe the known gene regulatory networks involved in the development of the different parts of the visual system and explore general components in these gene networks. Finally, we discuss the advantages of the fly visual system as a model for gene regulatory network discovery in the era of single-cell transcriptomics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Chung Chen
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Claude Desplan
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Javed A, Mattar P, Lu S, Kruczek K, Kloc M, Gonzalez-Cordero A, Bremner R, Ali RR, Cayouette M. Pou2f1 and Pou2f2 cooperate to control the timing of cone photoreceptor production in the developing mouse retina. Development 2020; 147:dev.188730. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.188730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Multipotent retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) generate various cell types in a precise chronological order, but how exactly cone photoreceptor production is restricted to early stages remains unclear. Here, we show that the POU-homeodomain factors Pou2f1/Pou2f2, the homologs of Drosophila temporal identity factors nub/pdm2, regulate the timely production of cones in mice. Forcing sustained expression of Pou2f1 or Pou2f2 in RPCs expands the period of cone production, whereas misexpression in late-stage RPCs triggers ectopic cone production at the expense of late-born fates. Mechanistically, we report that Pou2f1 induces Pou2f2 expression, which binds to a POU motif in the promoter of the rod-inducing factor Nrl to repress its expression. Conversely, conditional inactivation of Pou2f2 in RPCs increases Nrl expression and reduces cone production. Finally, we provide evidence that Pou2f1 is part of a cross-regulatory cascade with the other temporal identity factors Ikzf1 and Casz1. These results uncover Pou2f1/2 as regulators of the temporal window for cone genesis and, given their widespread expression in the nervous system, raise the possibility of a general role in temporal patterning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Awais Javed
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Unit, Institut de recherches cliniques de Montreal (IRCM), Canada
- Molecular Biology Program, Université de Montréal, Canada
| | - Pierre Mattar
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Unit, Institut de recherches cliniques de Montreal (IRCM), Canada
| | - Suying Lu
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Canada. Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Department of Lab Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto
| | | | | | | | - Rod Bremner
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Canada. Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Department of Lab Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto
| | - Robin R. Ali
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
| | - Michel Cayouette
- Cellular Neurobiology Research Unit, Institut de recherches cliniques de Montreal (IRCM), Canada
- Molecular Biology Program, Université de Montréal, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology; Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Meng JL, Wang Y, Carrillo RA, Heckscher ES. Temporal transcription factors determine circuit membership by permanently altering motor neuron-to-muscle synaptic partnerships. eLife 2020; 9:56898. [PMID: 32391795 PMCID: PMC7242025 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
How circuit wiring is specified is a key question in developmental neurobiology. Previously, using the Drosophila motor system as a model, we found the classic temporal transcription factor Hunchback acts in NB7-1 neuronal stem cells to control the number of NB7-1 neuronal progeny form functional synapses on dorsal muscles (Meng et al., 2019). However, it is unknown to what extent control of motor neuron-to-muscle synaptic partnerships is a general feature of temporal transcription factors. Here, we perform additional temporal transcription factor manipulations-prolonging expression of Hunchback in NB3-1, as well as precociously expressing Pdm and Castor in NB7-1. We use confocal microscopy, calcium imaging, and electrophysiology to show that in every manipulation there are permanent alterations in neuromuscular synaptic partnerships. Our data show temporal transcription factors, as a group of molecules, are potent determinants of synaptic partner choice and therefore ultimately control circuit membership.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia L Meng
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States,Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States
| | - Yupu Wang
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States,Committee on Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell Biology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States
| | - Robert A Carrillo
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States,Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States,Committee on Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell Biology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States,Grossman Institute for Neuroscience, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States
| | - Ellie S Heckscher
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States,Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States,Committee on Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell Biology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States,Grossman Institute for Neuroscience, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Regulation of Proneural Wave Propagation Through a Combination of Notch-Mediated Lateral Inhibition and EGF-Mediated Reaction Diffusion. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1218:77-91. [PMID: 32060872 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-34436-8_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Notch-mediated lateral inhibition regulates binary cell fate choice, resulting in salt-and-pepper pattern formation during various biological processes. In many cases, Notch signaling acts together with other signaling systems. However, it is not clear what happens when Notch signaling is combined with other signaling systems. Mathematical modeling and the use of a simple biological model system will be essential to address this uncertainty. A wave of differentiation in the Drosophila visual center, the "proneural wave," accompanies the activity of the Notch and EGF signaling pathways. Although all of the Notch signaling components required for lateral inhibition are involved in the proneural wave, no salt-and-pepper pattern is found during the progression of the proneural wave. Instead, Notch is activated along the wave front and regulates proneural wave progression. How does Notch signaling control wave propagation without forming a salt-and-pepper pattern? A mathematical model of the proneural wave, based on biological evidence, has demonstrated that Notch-mediated lateral inhibition is implemented within the proneural wave and that the diffusible action of EGF cancels salt-and-pepper pattern formation. The results from numerical simulation have been confirmed by genetic experiments in vivo and suggest that the combination of Notch-mediated lateral inhibition and EGF-mediated reaction diffusion enables a novel function of Notch signaling that regulates propagation of the proneural wave. Similar mechanisms may play important roles in diverse biological processes found in animal development and cancer pathogenesis.
Collapse
|
43
|
Courgeon M, Desplan C. Coordination between stochastic and deterministic specification in the Drosophila visual system. Science 2019; 366:science.aay6727. [PMID: 31582524 DOI: 10.1126/science.aay6727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Sensory systems use stochastic fate specification to increase their repertoire of neuronal types. How these stochastic decisions are coordinated with the development of their targets is unknown. In the Drosophila retina, two subtypes of ultraviolet-sensitive R7 photoreceptors are stochastically specified. In contrast, their targets in the brain are specified through a deterministic program. We identified subtypes of the main target of R7, the Dm8 neurons, each specific to the different subtypes of R7s. Dm8 subtypes are produced in excess by distinct neuronal progenitors, independently from R7. After matching with their cognate R7, supernumerary Dm8s are eliminated by apoptosis. Two interacting cell adhesion molecules, Dpr11 and DIPγ, are essential for the matching of one of the synaptic pairs. These mechanisms allow the qualitative and quantitative matching of R7 and Dm8 and thereby permit the stochastic choice made in R7 to propagate to the brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Claude Desplan
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Contreras EG, Sierralta J, Oliva C. Novel Strategies for the Generation of Neuronal Diversity: Lessons From the Fly Visual System. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:140. [PMID: 31213980 PMCID: PMC6554424 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Among all organs of an adult animal, the central nervous system stands out because of its vast complexity and morphological diversity. During early development, the entire central nervous system develops from an apparently homogenous group of progenitors that differentiate into all neural cell types. Therefore, understanding the molecular and genetic mechanisms that give rise to the cellular and anatomical diversity of the brain is a key goal of the developmental neurobiology field. With this aim in mind, the development of the central nervous system of model organisms has been extensively studied. From more than a century, the mechanisms of neurogenesis have been studied in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. The visual system comprises one of the major structures of the Drosophila brain. The visual information is collected by the eye-retina photoreceptors and then processed by the four optic lobe ganglia: the lamina, medulla, lobula and lobula plate. The molecular mechanisms that originate neuronal diversity in the optic lobe have been unveiled in the past decade. In this article, we describe the early development and differentiation of the lobula plate ganglion, from the formation of the optic placode and the inner proliferation center to the specification of motion detection neurons. We focused specifically on how the precise combination of signaling pathways and cell-specific transcription factors patterns the pool of neural stem cells that generates the different neurons of the motion detection system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Esteban G Contreras
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jimena Sierralta
- Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carlos Oliva
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Coordination of neural patterning in the Drosophila visual system. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2019; 56:153-159. [PMID: 30849690 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2019.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Precise formation of neuronal circuits requires the coordinated development of the different components of the circuit. Here, we review examples of coordination at multiples scales of development in one of the best-studied systems for neural patterning and circuit assembly, the Drosophila visual system, from coordination of gene expression in photoreceptors to the coordinated patterning of the different neuropiles of the optic lobe.
Collapse
|
46
|
Jörg DJ, Caygill EE, Hakes AE, Contreras EG, Brand AH, Simons BD. The proneural wave in the Drosophila optic lobe is driven by an excitable reaction-diffusion mechanism. eLife 2019; 8:e40919. [PMID: 30794154 PMCID: PMC6386523 DOI: 10.7554/elife.40919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In living organisms, self-organised waves of signalling activity propagate spatiotemporal information within tissues. During the development of the largest component of the visual processing centre of the Drosophila brain, a travelling wave of proneural gene expression initiates neurogenesis in the larval optic lobe primordium and drives the sequential transition of neuroepithelial cells into neuroblasts. Here, we propose that this 'proneural wave' is driven by an excitable reaction-diffusion system involving epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signalling interacting with the proneural gene l'sc. Within this framework, a propagating transition zone emerges from molecular feedback and diffusion. Ectopic activation of EGFR signalling in clones within the neuroepithelium demonstrates that a transition wave can be excited anywhere in the tissue by inducing signalling activity, consistent with a key prediction of the model. Our model illuminates the physical and molecular underpinnings of proneural wave progression and suggests a generic mechanism for regulating the sequential differentiation of tissues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David J Jörg
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of PhysicsUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- The Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon InstituteUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth E Caygill
- The Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon InstituteUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Department of Physiology, Development and NeuroscienceUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Anna E Hakes
- The Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon InstituteUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Department of Physiology, Development and NeuroscienceUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Esteban G Contreras
- The Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon InstituteUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Andrea H Brand
- The Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon InstituteUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Benjamin D Simons
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of PhysicsUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- The Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon InstituteUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- The Wellcome Trust/Medical Research Council Stem Cell InstituteUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Schilling T, Ali AH, Leonhardt A, Borst A, Pujol-Martí J. Transcriptional control of morphological properties of direction-selective T4/T5 neurons in Drosophila. Development 2019; 146:dev169763. [PMID: 30642835 PMCID: PMC6361130 DOI: 10.1242/dev.169763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
In the Drosophila visual system, T4/T5 neurons represent the first stage of computation of the direction of visual motion. T4 and T5 neurons exist in four subtypes, each responding to motion in one of the four cardinal directions and projecting axons into one of the four lobula plate layers. However, all T4/T5 neurons share properties essential for sensing motion. How T4/T5 neurons acquire their properties during development is poorly understood. We reveal that the transcription factors SoxN and Sox102F control the acquisition of properties common to all T4/T5 neuron subtypes, i.e. the layer specificity of dendrites and axons. Accordingly, adult flies are motion blind after disruption of SoxN or Sox102F in maturing T4/T5 neurons. We further find that the transcription factors Ato and Dac are redundantly required in T4/T5 neuron progenitors for SoxN and Sox102F expression in T4/T5 neurons, linking the transcriptional programmes specifying progenitor identity to those regulating the acquisition of morphological properties in neurons. Our work will help to link structure, function and development in a neuronal type performing a computation that is conserved across vertebrate and invertebrate visual systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tabea Schilling
- Department of 'Circuits - Computation - Models', Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Aicha H Ali
- Department of 'Circuits - Computation - Models', Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Aljoscha Leonhardt
- Department of 'Circuits - Computation - Models', Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Alexander Borst
- Department of 'Circuits - Computation - Models', Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Jesús Pujol-Martí
- Department of 'Circuits - Computation - Models', Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Ramon-Cañellas P, Peterson HP, Morante J. From Early to Late Neurogenesis: Neural Progenitors and the Glial Niche from a Fly's Point of View. Neuroscience 2018; 399:39-52. [PMID: 30578972 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2018] [Revised: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster is an important model organism used to study the brain development of organisms ranging from insects to mammals. The central nervous system in fruit flies is formed primarily in two waves of neurogenesis, one of which occurs in the embryo and one of which occurs during larval stages. In order to understand neurogenesis, it is important to research the behavior of progenitor cells that give rise to the neural networks which make up the adult nervous system. This behavior has been shown to be influenced by different factors including interactions with other cells within the progenitor niche, or local tissue microenvironment. Glial cells form a crucial part of this niche and play an active role in the development of the brain. Although in the early years of neuroscience it was believed that glia were simply scaffolding for neurons and passive components of the nervous system, their importance is nowadays recognized. Recent discoveries in progenitors and niche cells have led to new understandings of how the developing brain shapes its diverse regions. In this review, we attempt to summarize the distinct neural progenitors and glia in the Drosophila melanogaster central nervous system, from embryo to late larval stages, and make note of homologous features in mammals. We also outline the recent advances in this field in order to define the impact that glial cells have on progenitor cell niches, and we finally emphasize the importance of communication between glia and progenitor cells for proper brain formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pol Ramon-Cañellas
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), and Universidad Miguel Hernández (UMH), Campus de Sant Joan, Apartado 18, 03550 Sant Joan, Alicante, Spain
| | - Hannah Payette Peterson
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), and Universidad Miguel Hernández (UMH), Campus de Sant Joan, Apartado 18, 03550 Sant Joan, Alicante, Spain
| | - Javier Morante
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), and Universidad Miguel Hernández (UMH), Campus de Sant Joan, Apartado 18, 03550 Sant Joan, Alicante, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Abstract
To understand how neurons assemble to form functional circuits, it is necessary to obtain a detailed knowledge of their diversity and to define the developmental specification programs that give rise to this diversity. Invertebrates and vertebrates appear to share common developmental principles of neuronal specification in which cascades of transcription factors temporally pattern progenitors, while spatial cues modify the outcomes of this temporal patterning. Here, we highlight these conserved mechanisms and describe how they are used in distinct neural structures. We present the questions that remain for a better understanding of neuronal specification. Single-cell RNA profiling approaches will potentially shed light on these questions, allowing not only the characterization of neuronal diversity in adult brains, but also the investigation of the developmental trajectories leading to the generation and maintenance of this diversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Holguera
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Claude Desplan
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA. .,Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Miyares RL, Lee T. Temporal control of Drosophila central nervous system development. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2018; 56:24-32. [PMID: 30500514 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2018.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
A complex nervous system requires precise numbers of various neuronal types produced with exquisite spatiotemporal control. This striking diversity is generated by a limited number of neural stem cells (NSC), where spatial and temporal patterning intersect. Drosophila is a genetically tractable model system that has significant advantages for studying stem cell biology and neuronal fate specification. Here we review the latest findings in the rich literature of temporal patterning of neuronal identity in the Drosophila central nervous system. Rapidly changing consecutive transcription factors expressed in NSCs specify short series of neurons with considerable differences. More slowly progressing changes are orchestrated by NSC intrinsic temporal factor gradients which integrate extrinsic signals to coordinate nervous system and organismal development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Linda Miyares
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Tzumin Lee
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA.
| |
Collapse
|