Title
Organization and postembryonic development of glial cells in the adult central brain of Drosophila
PubMed ID
19091965
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Neurobiology
Date
12-19-2008
Document Type
Article
Subjects
Animals; Animals, Genetically Modified; Antigens, Differentiation; Brain; Cell Count; Cell Differentiation; Cell Lineage; Clone Cells; DNA-Binding Proteins; Drosophila; Drosophila Proteins; Embryo, Nonmammalian; Homeodomain Proteins; Larva; Neuroglia; Neurons; Neuropil; Transcription Factors
Disciplines
Life Sciences | Medicine and Health Sciences | Neuroscience and Neurobiology
Abstract
Glial cells exist throughout the nervous system, and play essential roles in various aspects of neural development and function. Distinct types of glia may govern diverse glial functions. To determine the roles of glia requires systematic characterization of glia diversity and development. In the adult Drosophila central brain, we identify five different types of glia based on its location, morphology, marker expression, and development. Perineurial and subperineurial glia reside in two separate single-cell layers on the brain surface, cortex glia form a glial mesh in the brain cortex where neuronal cell bodies reside, while ensheathing and astrocyte-like glia enwrap and infiltrate into neuropils, respectively. Clonal analysis reveals that distinct glial types derive from different precursors, and that most adult perineurial, ensheathing, and astrocyte-like glia are produced after embryogenesis. Notably, perineurial glial cells are made locally on the brain surface without the involvement of gcm (glial cell missing). In contrast, the widespread ensheathing and astrocyte-like glia derive from specific brain regions in a gcm-dependent manner. This study documents glia diversity in the adult fly brain and demonstrates involvement of different developmental programs in the derivation of distinct types of glia. It lays an essential foundation for studying glia development and function in the Drosophila brain.
Rights and Permissions
Citation: J Neurosci. 2008 Dec 17;28(51):13742-53. Link to article on publisher's site
Comments
Co-author Sen-Lin Lai is a student in the Neuroscience program in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) at UMass Medical School.