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Regulation of neuroblast competence in Drosophila

Nature volume 425, pages 624–628 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

Individual neural progenitors generate different cell types in a reproducible order in the retina1,2,3, cerebral cortex4,5,6 and probably in the spinal cord7. It is unknown how neural progenitors change over time to generate different cell types. It has been proposed that progenitors undergo progressive restriction8 or transit through distinct competence states9,10; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Here we investigate neural progenitor competence and temporal identity using an in vivo genetic system—Drosophila neuroblasts—where the Hunchback transcription factor is necessary and sufficient to specify early-born cell types11. We show that neuroblasts gradually lose competence to generate early-born fates in response to Hunchback, similar to progressive restriction models8, and that competence to acquire early-born fates is present in mitotic precursors but is lost in post-mitotic neurons. These results match those observed in vertebrate systems, and establish Drosophila neuroblasts as a model system for the molecular genetic analysis of neural progenitor competence and plasticity.

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Figure 1: The early lineage of NB7-1.
Figure 2: NB7-1 shows plasticity in response to Hunchback.
Figure 3: Mitotic progenitors but not post-mitotic neurons show competence to respond to Hunchback.
Figure 4: Summary of NB, GMC and neuronal competence to respond to Hb.

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Acknowledgements

We thank J. Posakony, M. Fujioka and J. Jaynes for fly stocks; W. Odenwald and M. Lundell for antibodies; and R. Grosskortenhaus, M. Freeman, M. Rolls, T. Isshiki, M. Westerfield, T. Brody and W. Odenwald for comments. This work was funded by NIH and HHMI, where C.Q.D. is an Investigator.

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  1. Institutes of Neuroscience and Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon 1254, Eugene, Oregon, 97403, USA

    Bret J. Pearson & Chris Q. Doe

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  1. Bret J. Pearson
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  2. Chris Q. Doe
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Correspondence to Chris Q. Doe.

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The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests.

Supplementary information

41586_2003_BFnature01910_MOESM1_ESM.zip

Supplementary Movies: This ZIP files conatins two movies in MP4 format. Movie 1 (pearson_movie_s1.mp4): Birth-order and sibling relationships of the U motoneurons. Movie 2 (pearson_movie_s2.mp4): Re-expression of Hunchback in an older neuroblast generates ectopic U1 motoneurons with correct axon projections to the dorsal muscle field. (ZIP 1461 kb)

Supplementary Movie Legends (DOC 21 kb)

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Pearson, B., Doe, C. Regulation of neuroblast competence in Drosophila. Nature 425, 624–628 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01910

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