Dissection of mechanisms underlying the development of neuronal lineages. (360G-Wellcome-092986_Z_10_Z)

We will use the developing nerve cord of the Drosophila embryo and larva to investigate elementary organizational principles and their mechanisms that underlie the development of neuronal progenitor cell lineages. We will use genetic methods to label (and manipulate) neuroblast lineages in first instar larval stages, when these have fully differentiated, and show how key features of neuronal differentiation, namely transmitter phenotypes and projection patterns, are assigned within lineages. We will determine which (combinations of) transmitter(s) and projection phenotypes are generated within a lineage and in what temporal pattern. We will establish experimentally how these fundamental aspects are regulated by daughter cell interactions and birth order progression. In summary our aims are: 1) To determine within neural lineages the pattern and underlying developmental mechanisms for transmitter phenotype differentiation. 2) To establish how neural lineages generate diverse cell m orphologies.