Open Accessbrakeless is required for photoreceptor growth-cone targeting in Drosophila
Author(s) -
Yong Rao,
Ping Peng,
Wenjie Ruan,
Dorian Gunning,
S. Lawrence Zipursky
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.110135297
Subject(s) - biology , growth cone , transgene , mutant , microbiology and biotechnology , drosophila (subgenus) , cone (formal languages) , gene , drosophilidae , genetics , drosophila melanogaster , algorithm , computer science , axon
The R1-R6 subclass of photoreceptor neurons (R cells) in theDrosophila compound eye form specific connections with targets in the optic ganglia. In this paper, we report the identification of a gene,brakeless (bks ), that is essential for R1-R6 growth cone targeting. Inbrakeless mutants, R1-R6 growth cones frequently fail to terminate migration in their normal target, the lamina, and instead project through it and terminate in the second optic ganglion, the medulla. Genetic mosaic analysis and transgene rescue experiments indicate thatbks functions in R cells and not within the lamina target region.bks encodes a nuclear protein. We propose that it participates in a gene expression pathway regulating one or more growth cone components controlling R1-R6 targeting.