The Drosophila castor gene is involved in postembryonic brain development

• Published in: Mechanisms of development Vol. 103; no. 1; pp. 3 - 11
• Main Authors: Hitier, Raphaël, Chaminade, Michel, Préat, Thomas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.05.2001
• Subjects: Alleles; Animals; Brain - growth & development; castor gene; Cell Communication; Cell Differentiation; Cell Membrane - metabolism; Crosses, Genetic; DNA-Binding Proteins - physiology; Drosophila; Drosophila - growth & development; Drosophila Proteins; Female; In Situ Hybridization; Insect Proteins - genetics; Insect Proteins - metabolism; Male; Nerve Tissue Proteins - genetics; Nerve Tissue Proteins - metabolism; Postembryonic brain development; Protein Binding; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; Time Factors; castor gene; Drosophila; Postembryonic brain development
• ISSN: 0925-4773; 1872-6356
• DOI: 10.1016/S0925-4773(01)00312-4

castor (cas) encodes a zink finger protein expressed in a subset of Drosophila embryonic neuroglioblasts where it controls neuronal differentiation. We show here that cas is expressed at larval and pupal stages in brain cell clusters where it participates in the elaboration of the adult structures. In particular using the MARCM system (mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker), we show that cas is required postembryonically for correct axon pathfinding of the central complex (CX) and mushroom body (MB) neurons. The linotte ( lio) gene encodes a transmembrane protein expressed at larval/pupal stage in a glial structure, the TIFR, and interacts with the no-bridge (nob) gene. We show that cas interacts genetically with lio and nob. These interactions do not involve direct transcription regulation but probably cellular communication processes.