Role of the <span class='italic'>achaete-scute</span> complex genes in the development of the adult peripheral nervous system of <span class='italic'>Drosophila melanogaster</span>

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511546204.025

23 - Role of the achaete-scute complex genes in the development of the adult peripheral nervous system of Drosophila melanogaster

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 August 2009

S. Sotillos and

S. Campuzano

Edited by

Manuel Marí-Beffa and

Jennifer Knight

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S. Sotillos: Affiliation:
Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa”, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
S. Campuzano: Affiliation:
Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa”, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
Manuel Marí-Beffa: Affiliation:
Universidad de Málaga, Spain
Jennifer Knight: Affiliation:
University of Colorado, Boulder

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Summary

OBJECTIVE OF THE EXPERIMENT Formation of the pattern of external sensory organs (SOs) that cover the adult cuticle of Drosophila melanogaster is controlled by the proneural achaete (ac) and scute (sc) genes of the achaete-scute complex (AS-C) (reviewed in Campuzano and Modolell, 1992; Modolell and Campuzano, 1998). ac and sc encode transcription factors of the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family. Both genes are co-expressed in the imaginal discs (the precursors of the adult epidermis) in a reproducible pattern of clusters of cells (the proneural clusters) from which one cell is determined to become the precursor cell of the SO, the sensillum mother cell (SMC). The objectives of the experiments outlined below are to demonstrate the requirement of the spatially restricted expression of ac/sc for the generation of the wild type pattern of SOs and to analyze the control of ac/sc expression.

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY The experiments are moderately difficult.

INTRODUCTION

The peripheral nervous system of Drosophila is a very suitable model in which to analyze the genetic control of pattern formation. The cuticle of Drosophila melanogaster contains thousands of external mechano- or chemoreceptor SOs – the bristles or chaetae and other sensilla – which are arranged according to a stereotyped pattern (Figure 23.1a). Each external SO is derived from a single cell, the sensillum mother cell (SMC), which, in general, undergoes two differential divisions.

Type: Chapter
Information: Key Experiments in Practical Developmental Biology , pp. 296 - 309

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511546204.025 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2005

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