Reference Report

Reference
Citation	Bello, B., Holbro, N., Reichert, H. (2007). Polycomb group genes are required for neural stem cell survival in postembryonic neurogenesis of Drosophila. Development 134(6): 1091--1099. (Export to RIS)
FlyBase ID	FBrf0202325
Publication Type	Research paper
PubMed ID	17287254
PubMed Abstract	Genes of the Polycomb group (PcG) are part of a cellular memory system that maintains appropriate inactive states of Hox gene expression in Drosophila. Here, we investigate the role of PcG genes in postembryonic development of the Drosophila CNS. We use mosaic-based MARCM techniques to analyze the role of these genes in the persistent larval neuroblasts and progeny of the central brain and thoracic ganglia. We find that proliferation in postembryonic neuroblast clones is dramatically reduced in the absence of Polycomb, Sex combs extra, Sex combs on midleg, Enhancer of zeste or Suppressor of zeste 12. The proliferation defects in these PcG mutants are due to the loss of neuroblasts by apoptosis in the mutant clones. Mutation of PcG genes in postembryonic lineages results in the ectopic expression of posterior Hox genes, and experimentally induced misexpression of posterior Hox genes, which in the wild type causes neuroblast death, mimics the PcG loss-of-function phenotype. Significantly, full restoration of wild-type-like properties in the PcG mutant lineages is achieved by blocking apoptosis in the neuroblast clones. These findings indicate that loss of PcG genes leads to aberrant derepression of posterior Hox gene expression in postembryonic neuroblasts, which causes neuroblast death and termination of proliferation in the mutant clones. Our findings demonstrate that PcG genes are essential for normal neuroblast survival in the postembryonic CNS of Drosophila. Moreover, together with data on mammalian PcG genes, they imply that repression of aberrant reactivation of Hox genes may be a general and evolutionarily conserved role for PcG genes in CNS development.
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Secondary IDs	FBrf0193454
Language of Publication	English
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Publication Type	Journal
Abbreviation	Development
Title	Development
Publication Year	1987-
ISBN/ISSN	0950-1991
Data from Reference
Aberrations (1)
	Df(2R)Su(z)2-1.b8
Alleles (10)
	abd-A^{1dB5.Scer\UAS} BacA\p35^Scer\UAS.cHa E(z)⁷³¹ Ecol\lacZ^{Scer\UAS.T:SV40\nls2} Mmus\Cd8a^{Scer\UAS.T:Avic\GFP} Pc¹⁵ Sce¹ Scer\GAL4^αTub84B.PL Scm^D1 Su(z)12¹
Constructs (5)
	P{tubP-GAL4} P{UAS-abd-A.M} P{UAS-lacZ.NZ} P{UAS-mCD8::GFP.L} P{UAS-p35.H}
Genes (20)
	abd-A Abd-B BacA\p35 CycE E(z) Ecol\lacZ elav grh His3 mira Mmus\Cd8a Pc pros Psc Sce Scer\GAL4 Scm Su(z)2 Su(z)12 Ubx