Ten-a affects the fusion of central complex primordia in Drosophila

PLoS One. 2013;8(2):e57129. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0057129. Epub 2013 Feb 20.

Abstract

The central complex of Drosophila melanogaster plays important functions in various behaviors, such as visual and olfactory memory, visual orientation, sleep, and movement control. However little is known about the genes regulating the development of the central complex. Here we report that a mutant gene affecting central complex morphology, cbd (central brain defect), was mapped to ten-a, a type II trans-membrane protein coding gene. Down-regulation of ten-a in pan-neural cells contributed to abnormal morphology of central complex. Over-expression of ten-a by C767-Gal4 was able to partially restore the abnormal central complex morphology in the cbd mutant. Tracking the development of FB primordia revealed that C767-Gal4 labeled interhemispheric junction that separated fan-shaped body precursors at larval stage withdrew to allow the fusion of the precursors. While the C767-Gal4 labeled structure did not withdraw properly and detached from FB primordia, the two fan-shaped body precursors failed to fuse in the cbd mutant. We propose that the withdrawal of C767-Gal4 labeled structure is related to the formation of the fan-shaped body. Our result revealed the function of ten-a in central brain development, and possible cellular mechanism underlying Drosophila fan-shaped body formation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified
  • Axons / metabolism
  • Brain / embryology
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Chromosome Mapping
  • Drosophila Proteins / genetics*
  • Drosophila Proteins / metabolism
  • Drosophila melanogaster / genetics*
  • Drosophila melanogaster / metabolism
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Order
  • Morphogenesis / genetics
  • Mutation
  • Phenotype
  • RNA Interference
  • Receptors, Cell Surface / genetics*
  • Receptors, Cell Surface / metabolism

Substances

  • Drosophila Proteins
  • Receptors, Cell Surface
  • Ten-a protein, Drosophila

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the ‘973 Program’ (2009CB918702, 2012CB825504), the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (31030037, 30921064 and 31070944), and the External Cooperation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (GJHZ1005). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.