ANALYSIS OF DROSOPHILA SENSORY NEURON DEVELOPMENT

我们的长期目标是了解细胞的遗传控制 果蝇神经系统的分化。 一般的策略是专注于一个早期的差异化步骤， 果蝇神经发育，感觉神经元的分离。 期间 分离，有丝分裂后感觉神经元顶端收缩并向外移动 它们出生时的表皮层。 使用一个发展和 分子遗传学的方法，我们想表征基因， 对这个过程的影响。 该提案的具体目标是（1）分析细胞 野生型感觉神经元分离的机制 （2）研究了出现在鸡胚中的fas基因， 对于神经元分离至关重要，因为感觉神经元不能 在纯合fas胚胎中分离。 关于第一个目标，建议进行以下实验： 通过阻断微管、微丝和细胞粘附的功能 (Ca++依赖性;整联蛋白介导的）在体内系统中，将对其进行测试 这些功能是否是感觉神经元分离所必需的。 它 将进一步询问细胞粘附中暗示的基因突变是否 机制（mys、1（2）gl、fat）影响感觉神经元发育。 fas基因的研究涉及到超微结构缺陷的分析 在Fas胚胎中感觉神经元分离中，来自 纯合Fas-卵（生殖系克隆）和纯合Fas-细胞的克隆 在成人的表皮中。的年代和世系关系 将测定Fas-胚胎中的感器细胞。 fas位点将是 通过重组和缺失作图来作图。fas基因将被克隆 并通过序列分析、原位杂交研究和 针对Fas基因产物产生的抗体。 fas似乎编码了 感觉神经元分离的一个重要因素，分子分析 将提供深入了解这一过程的遗传控制。

Our long term objectives are to understand the genetic control of cell differentiation in the Drosophila nervous system. The general strategy is to focus on one early differentiative step in Drosophila neural development, the segregation of sensory neurons. During segregation, postmitotic sensory neurons constrict apically and move out of the epidermal layer in which they were born. Using a developmental and molecular-genetic approach, we want to characterize genes which have an impact on this process. The specific objectives of this proposal are (1) to analyze the cellular mechanisms which underly sensory neuron segregation in wildtype development, and (2) to study the faint sausage (fas) gene which appears to be essential for neuronal segregation, as sensory neurons fail to segregate in homozygous fas- embryos. With regard to the first objective the following experiments are proposed: By blocking the function of microtubules, microfilaments, and cell adhesion (Ca++-dependent; integrin mediated) in an in vivo system it will be tested whether these functions are essential for sensory neuron segregation. It will further be asked whether mutations in genes implied in cell adhesion mechanisms (mys, 1(2)gl, fat) affect sensory neuron development. The study of the fas gene involves the analysis of ultrastructural defects in sensory neuron segregation in fas-embryos, fas-embryos derived from homozygous fas-eggs (germline clones), and clones of homozygous fas-cells in the adult epidermis. Birthdates and lineage relationships of the sensillum cells in fas-embryos will be determined. The fas locus will be mapped by recombination and deficiency mapping. The fas gene will be cloned and characterized by sequence analysis, in situ hybridization studies, and antibodies raised against the fas gene product. As fas appears to encode an essential factor for sensory neuron segregation, the molecular analysis will provide insight into the genetic control of this process.