The conserved RNA-binding protein Imp is required for the specification and function of olfactory navigation circuitry in Drosophila.

ABSTRACT: Complex behaviors depend on the precise developmental specification of neuronal circuits, but the relationship between genetic programs for neural development, circuit structure, and behavioral output is often unclear. The central complex (CX) is a conserved sensory-motor integration center in insects, which governs many higher-order behaviors and largely derives from a small number of type II neural stem cells (NSCs). Here, we show that Imp, a conserved IGF-II mRNA-binding protein expressed in type II NSCs, plays a role in specifying essential components of CX olfactory navigation circuitry. We show the following: (1) that multiple components of olfactory navigation circuitry arise from type II NSCs. (2) Manipulating Imp expression in type II NSCs alters the number and morphology of many

SUBMITTER: Hamid A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10872534 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature