Title
Genetic mosaic with dual binary transcriptional systems in Drosophila
GSBS Program
Neuroscience
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Neurobiology
Date
4-4-2006
Document Type
Article
Medical Subject Headings
Animals; Animals, Genetically Modified; Brain; Drosophila; Drosophila Proteins; *Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Immunohistochemistry; Models, Molecular; *Mosaicism; Neurons; Repressor Proteins; Trans-Activation (Genetics); Transcription Factors
Disciplines
Life Sciences | Medicine and Health Sciences | Neuroscience and Neurobiology
Abstract
MARCM (mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker) involves specific labeling of GAL80-minus and GAL4-positive homozygous cells in otherwise heterozygous tissues. Here we demonstrate how the concurrent use of two independent binary transcriptional systems may facilitate complex MARCM studies in the Drosophila nervous system. By fusing LexA with the VP16 acidic activation domain (VP16) or the GAL4 activation domain (GAD), we obtained both GAL80-insensitive and GAL80-suppressible transcriptional factors. LexA::VP16 can mediate MARCM-independent binary transgene induction in mosaic organisms. The incorporation of LexA::GAD into MARCM, which we call dual-expression-control MARCM, permits the induction of distinct transgenes in different patterns among GAL80-minus cells in mosaic tissues. Lineage analysis with dual-expression-control MARCM suggested the presence of neuroglioblasts in the developing optic lobes but did not indicate the production of glia by postembryonic mushroom body neuronal precursors. In addition, dual-expression-control MARCM with a ubiquitous LexA::GAD driver revealed many unidentified cells in the GAL4-GH146-positive projection neuron lineages.
Rights and Permissions
Citation: Nat Neurosci. 2006 May;9(5):703-9. Epub 2006 Apr 2. Link to article on publisher's site