Project description:Color vision in Drosophila is mediated by photoreceptors R7 and R8, which express various combinations of opsins Rh3, Rh4, Rh5 and Rh6 depending on their cellular identity. Most ommatidia are classified as either “pale” or “yellow” subtypes with pale ommatidia coordinately expressing Rh3 and Rh5—in R7 and R8 cells respectively—while yellow express Rh4 and Rh6. Subtype identity is established initially in R7 photoreceptors via a stochastic mechanism then transmitted to the R8 via an inductive signal to ensure paired opsin expression. To identify factors that may be involved in this process, we used RNA-Seq to detect genes that are differentially expressed in sevenless mutant retinas at 40 hours after puparium formation. Since loss of sevenless prevents R7 recruitment and specification, we reasoned that this approach would allow us to identify genes that are enriched in R7 cells during this critical time point. Furthermore, since it has previously been established that in the absence of R7 most R8s will adopt the yellow Rh6-expressing identity, this gives us the opportunity to identify genes which may inductive mechanism occurring in R8 cells.
Project description:The formation of neuronal connections requires the precise guidance of developing axons towards their targets. In the Drosophila visual system, photoreceptor neurons (R cells) project from the eye into the brain. These cells are grouped into some 750 clusters comprised of eight photoreceptors or R-cells each. R cells fall into three classes, R1-R6, R7 and R8. Posterior R8 cells are the first to project axons into the brain. How these axons select a specific pathway is not known. Here, we used a microarray-based approach to identify genes expressed in R7 and R8 neurons as they extend into the brain.
Project description:The formation of neuronal connections requires the precise guidance of developing axons towards their targets. In the Drosophila visual system, photoreceptor neurons (R cells) project from the eye into the brain. These cells are grouped into some 750 clusters comprised of eight photoreceptors or R-cells each. R cells fall into three classes, R1-R6, R7 and R8. Posterior R8 cells are the first to project axons into the brain. How these axons select a specific pathway is not known. Here, we used a microarray-based approach to identify genes expressed in R7 and R8 neurons as they extend into the brain. We used microarray analysis to measure gene expression changes when the transcription factor Runt is misexpressed in eye discs and conversely when eye discs are rendered mutant for the Senseless transcription factor.
Project description:Environmental stresses such as drought, salinity and both high and low temperature are frequently faced by crops all over the world and can be considered major limiting factors for plant geographical distribution and productivity. Breeding has allowed creation of crops more adapted to some of the adverse environmental conditions and to overcome the geographical limitation without major consequences to productivity. However, due to the climate changes observed in the last few decades, some agricultural areas have experienced the âgreen seed problemâ characterized by chlorophyll retention in mature seeds. This is problematic in oil seed crops such as soybean and canola since it is related to lower seed and oil quality, resulting in serious financial losses. Besides the environmental factors, there are also genetic components controlling the susceptibility of different cultivars to green seed production. Understanding the molecular mechanisms controlling chlorophyll retention in seeds is crucial to allow advanced molecular breeding techniques and genetic engineering as a way to increase tolerance to this growing problem. We have used maturing soybean seeds of the cultivar MG/BR 46, harvested in R6, R7 and R8, produced under non-stressed and stressed environmental conditions, to understand he molecular basis of chlorophyll degradation and, consequently, its retention during soybean seed maturation. Soybean seeds were produced under stressed and non-stressed conditions and harvested in 3 different stages of maturation: R6 non-stressed, R7 non-stressed, R8 non-stressed, R6 stressed, R7 stressed, R8 stressed.