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doi: 10.1242/10.1242/dev.00319
1 Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305,
USA
2 Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto
University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
3 Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science
and Technology, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto
606-8507, Japan
Author for correspondence (e-mail:
lluo{at}stanford.edu)
Accepted 26 November 2002
Neurons undergo extensive morphogenesis during development. To
systematically identify genes important for different aspects of neuronal
morphogenesis, we performed a genetic screen using the MARCM system in the
mushroom body (MB) neurons of the Drosophila brain. Mutations on the
right arm of chromosome 2 (which contains 
20% of the Drosophila
genome) were made homozygous in a small subset of uniquely labeled MB neurons.
Independently mutagenized chromosomes (4600) were screened, yielding defects
in neuroblast proliferation, cell size, membrane trafficking, and axon and
dendrite morphogenesis. We report mutations that affect these different
aspects of morphogenesis and phenotypically characterize a subset. We found
that roadblock, which encodes a dynein light chain, exhibits reduced
cell number in neuroblast clones, reduced dendritic complexity and defective
axonal transport. These phenotypes are nearly identical to mutations in dynein
heavy chain Dhc64 and in Lis1, the Drosophila
homolog of human lissencephaly 1, reinforcing the role of the dynein complex
in cell proliferation, dendritic morphogenesis and axonal transport.
Phenotypic analysis of short stop/kakapo, which encodes a
large cytoskeletal linker protein, reveals a novel function in regulating
microtubule polarity in neurons. MB neurons mutant for flamingo,
which encodes a seven transmembrane cadherin, extend processes beyond their
wild-type dendritic territories. Overexpression of Flamingo results in axon
retraction. Our results suggest that most genes involved in neuronal
morphogenesis play multiple roles in different aspects of neural development,
rather than performing a dedicated function limited to a specific process.
Key words: Axon, Dendrite, Polarity, Cytoskeleton, Pleiotropy
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