Abstract: Rita KOTTMEIER




Regulation of glial cell proliferation in the Drosophila nervous system


Rita Kottmeier, Florian Sieglitz, Christian Klämbt

Universitaet Münster, Institute of Neurobiology, Badestraße 9, 48149 Münster, Germany.


The nervous system is a highly complex structure comprising two cell types, neurons and glia. Glial cells play a crucial role in the development and maintenance of the neuronal network and their interplay with neurons is essential for proper brain function. In the peripheral nervous system (PNS), three glial cell types are described, namely wrapping glia, suberineurial glia and perineurial glia. Wrapping glial cells are in close contact with neurons and ensheath them. They are surrounded by a layer of subperineurial glial cells, which build the blood brain barrier. The outermost glial layer of the nervous system is comprised by perineurial glial cells, which proliferate during larval stages and thereby give rise to the most abundant glial subtype. In the larval PNS, glial cell number is adjusted to the length of the nerve. How this is regulated has not been described so far.
We found that reduction of FGF signaling specifically in wrapping glial cells results in reduced numbers of perineurial glial cells. Interestingly, a similar phenotype was noted following reduction of EGF signaling in wrapping glia. To further decipher the molecular mechanisms underlying the non-autonomous regulation of perineurial glial proliferation, I performed a cell type specific RNAi screen. We silenced ~50 genes encoding secreted ligands of known signaling pathways as well membrane associated proteins and scored for reduced numbers of glial cells. So far no mitotic signal was identified. In a different approach the identification of mitotic signals will rely on a suppressor screen for activated FGF signaling. To further understand how RTK dependent glial proliferation is modulated in downstream cascades, a putative MAPK interactor will be analysed.





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