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Development 129, 4219-4228 (2002)
© 2002 The Company of Biologists Limited

Evidence for differential and redundant function of the Sox genes Dichaete and SoxN during CNS development in Drosophila

Paul M. Overton1,*, Lisa A. Meadows2,*,{dagger}, Joachim Urban2 and Steven Russell1,{ddagger}

1 Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
2 Institute of Genetics, University of Mainz, Becherweg 32, D-55099, Mainz, Germany
* These authors contributed equally to this work
{dagger} Present address: Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK

{ddagger}Author for correspondence (e-mail: s.russell{at}gen.cam.ac.uk)

Accepted 10 June 2002

Group B Sox-domain proteins encompass a class of conserved DNA-binding proteins expressed from the earliest stages of metazoan CNS development. In all higher organisms studied to date, related Group B Sox proteins are co-expressed in the developing CNS; in vertebrates there are three (Sox1, Sox2 and Sox3) and in Drosophila there are two (SoxNeuro and Dichaete). It has been suggested there may be a degree of functional redundancy in Sox function during CNS development. We describe the CNS phenotype of a null mutation in the Drosophila SoxNeuro gene and provide the first direct evidence for both redundant and differential Sox function during CNS development in Drosophila. In the lateral neuroectoderm, where SoxNeuro is uniquely expressed, SoxNeuro mutants show a loss or reduction of achaete expression as well as a loss of many correctly specified lateral neuroblasts. By contrast, in the medial neuroectoderm, where the expression of SoxNeuro and Dichaete overlaps, the phenotypes of both single mutants are mild. In accordance with an at least partially redundant function in that region, SoxNeuro/Dichaete double mutant embryos show a severe neural hypoplasia throughout the central nervous system, as well as a dramatic loss of achaete expressing proneural clusters and medially derived neuroblasts. However, the finding that Dichaete and SoxN exhibit opposite effects on achaete expression within the intermediate neuroectoderm demonstrates that each protein also has region-specific unique functions during early CNS development in the Drosophila embryo.

Key words: Drosophila, SoxNeuro, Dichaete, Sox, Neurogenesis, CNS




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© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2002