Ayyub, C., Sen, A., Gonsalves, F., Badrinath, K., Bhandari, P., Shashidhara, L.S., Krishna, S., Rodrigues, V. (2005). Cullin-5 plays multiple roles in cell fate specification and synapse formation during Drosophila development.  Dev. Dyn. 232(3): 865--875.

FBrf0183913

Research paper

We describe a developmental analysis of Drosophila Cullin-5 (Cul-5) identified from the genome sequence on the basis of its high degree of homology to vertebrate and worm sequences. The gene is expressed in a restricted manner in ectodermal cells throughout development suggesting pleiotropic functions. We decided to examine the phenotypes of Cul-5 aberrations in two well-studied developmental systems: the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) and the developing sensory organ. Alteration of Cul-5 levels in motoneurons results in an increase in bouton number at the NMJ. The cells of a sensory organ on the adult notum arise from a single progenitor cell by regulated cell division. Aberrations in Cul-5 affect different steps in the lineage consistent with a role in cell fate determination, proliferation, and death. Such phenotypes highlight the multiple cellular processes in which Cul-5 can participate.