Defective glia induce neuronal apoptosis in the repo visual system of Drosophila

TitleDefective glia induce neuronal apoptosis in the repo visual system of Drosophila
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication1995
AuthorsXiong WC, Montell C
JournalNeuron
Volume14
Pagination581-90
Date Published1995 Mar
ISSN0896-6273
KeywordsAnimals, Apoptosis, Cell Survival, Drosophila, Genes, Homeobox, Homeodomain Proteins, Microscopy, Electron, Neuroglia, Neurons, Retina, Retinal Degeneration
Abstract

The role of glia in suppressing neuronal cell death was investigated in the visual system of the Drosophila mutant, reversed polarity (repo). The repo locus encodes a glial-specific homeodomain protein expressed in the optic lobes. Here, we show that survival of the laminar neurons in the optic lobe depends on repo expression in the laminar glia, indicating that the laminar glia supply factors required for neuronal survival. The repo glia also underwent cell death, suggesting that the laminar neurons are required for survival of the glia or that repo expression is required to suppress an intrinsic cell suicide program. Subsequent to the laminar cell death, the retinal cells in the repo visual system also degenerated, indicating that the retinal cell death was due to retrograde degeneration.

Alternate JournalNeuron
PubMed ID7695904
Grant ListEY08117 / EY / NEI NIH HHS / United States