@article {6454, title = {Extremes of lineage plasticity in the Drosophila brain.}, journal = {Current Biology}, volume = {23}, year = {2013}, month = {2013 Sep 19}, pages = {1908-13}, abstract = {

An often-overlooked aspect of neural plasticity is the plasticity of neuronal composition, in which the numbers of neurons of particular classes are altered in response to environment and experience. The Drosophila brain features several well-characterized lineages in which a single neuroblast gives rise to multiple neuronal classes in a stereotyped sequence during development [1]. We find that in the\ intrinsic mushroom body neuron lineage, the numbers for each class are highly plastic, depending on the timing of temporal fate transitions and the rate of neuroblast proliferation. For example, mushroom body neuroblast cycling can continue under starvation conditions, uncoupled from\ temporal fate transitions that depend on extrinsic cues reflecting organismal growth and development. In contrast, the proliferation rates of antennal lobe lineages are closely associated with organismal development, and\ their temporal fate changes appear to be cell cycle-dependent, such that the same numbers and types of uniglomerular projection neurons innervate the antennal lobe following various perturbations. We propose that this surprising difference in plasticity for these brain lineages is adaptive, given their respective roles as parallel\ processors versus discrete carriers of olfactory information.

}, issn = {1879-0445}, doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2013.07.074}, author = {Lin, Suewei and Marin, Elizabeth C and Yang, Ching-Po and Kao, Chih-Fei and Apenteng, Bettye A and Huang, Yaling and O{\textquoteright}Connor, Michael B and Truman, James W and Lee, Tzumin} } @article {4300, title = {Glia instruct developmental neuronal remodeling through TGF-β signaling.}, journal = {Nature Neuroscience}, volume = {14}, year = {2011}, month = {2011 Jun 19}, pages = {821-3}, abstract = {

We found that glia secrete myoglianin, a TGF-β ligand, to instruct developmental neural remodeling in Drosophila. Glial myoglianin upregulated neuronal expression of an ecdysone nuclear receptor that triggered neurite remodeling following the late-larval ecdysone peak. Thus glia orchestrate developmental neural remodeling not only by engulfment of unwanted neurites but also by enabling neuron remodeling.

}, keywords = {Animals, Developmental, Double-Stranded, Drosophila, Drosophila Proteins, Gene Expression Regulation, Genetically Modified, Green Fluorescent Proteins, MicroRNAs, Models, Mushroom Bodies, Mutation, Neurogenesis, Neuroglia, Neurological, RNA, Signal Transduction, Transforming Growth Factor beta}, issn = {1546-1726}, doi = {10.1038/nn.2833}, author = {Awasaki, Takeshi and Huang, Yaling and O{\textquoteright}Connor, Michael B and Lee, Tzumin} } @article {788, title = {TGF-beta signaling activates steroid hormone receptor expression during neuronal remodeling in the Drosophila brain.}, journal = {Cell}, volume = {112}, year = {2003}, month = {2003 Feb 7}, pages = {303-15}, abstract = {

Metamorphosis of the Drosophila brain involves pruning of many larval-specific dendrites and axons followed by outgrowth of adult-specific processes. From a genetic mosaic screen, we recovered two independent mutations that block neuronal remodeling in the mushroom bodies (MBs). These phenotypically indistinguishable mutations affect Baboon function, a Drosophila TGF-beta/activin type I receptor, and dSmad2, its downstream transcriptional effector. We also show that Punt and Wit, two type II receptors, act redundantly in this process. In addition, knocking out dActivin around the mid-third instar stage interferes with remodeling. Binding of the insect steroid hormone ecdysone to distinct ecdysone receptor isoforms induces different metamorphic responses in various larval tissues. Interestingly, expression of the ecdysone receptor B1 isoform (EcR-B1) is reduced in activin pathway mutants, and restoring EcR-B1 expression significantly rescues remodeling defects. We conclude that the Drosophila Activin signaling pathway mediates neuronal remodeling in part by regulating EcR-B1 expression.

}, keywords = {Activin Receptors, Animals, Brain, Cell Differentiation, Cell Surface, DNA-Binding Proteins, Drosophila, Drosophila Proteins, Female, Genes, Larva, Lethal, Male, Missense, Mushroom Bodies, Mutation, Neural Pathways, Neuronal Plasticity, Neurons, Protein Isoforms, Proteins, Receptors, Signal Transduction, Smad2 Protein, Steroid, Trans-Activators, Transforming Growth Factor beta, Type I, Type II}, issn = {0092-8674}, author = {Zheng, Xiaoyan and Wang, Jian and Haerry, Theodor E and Wu, Ann Y-H and Martin, Josephine and O{\textquoteright}Connor, Michael B and Lee, Ching-Hsien J and Lee, Tzumin} }