High impact information on cas

• Pdm and Castor specify late-born motor neuron identity in the NB7-1 lineage [1].
• By ensuring correct POU gene expression boundaries, hb and cas maintain temporal subdivisions in the cell-identity circuitry controlling CNS development [2].
• castor encodes a novel zinc finger protein required for the development of a subset of CNS neurons in Drosophila [3].
• In contrast, neuroblasts require cytokinesis to activate sublineage ming expression, while a single, identified neuroblast requires cell cycle progression to activate even-skipped expression [4].
• Here we show that four genes (ming, even-skipped, unplugged and achaete) are expressed in specific neuroblast sublineages [4].

Biological context of cas

• We propose that ming controls cell fate within neuroblast cell lineages [5].

Anatomical context of cas

• In particular using the MARCM system (mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker), we show that cas is required postembryonically for correct axon pathfinding of the central complex (CX) and mushroom body (MB) neurons [6].
• ming is expressed in neuroblast sublineages and regulates gene expression in the Drosophila central nervous system [5].

Other interactions of cas

• In addition, the targeted misexpression of Cas in all neuroblast lineages reduces Pdm-1 expression without altering Hb expression [2].
• Our results also indicate that following Cas expression, many CNS NBs continue their asymmetric divisions generating additional progeny, which can be identified by the expression of the bHLH transcription factor Grainyhead (Gh) [7].
• Neither Castor nor Notch fulfilled the criteria for intermediaries, and in particular Notch activity was found to be dispensable for the normal proliferation and survival of the pNBs [8].

References