Glia Regulate the Timing of Photoreceptor Differentiation in the Drosophila Visual System.

ABSTRACT: Recent studies suggest the involvement of insulin signaling in the timing of photoreceptor differentiation in Drosophila and mammals. The molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying temporal control of photoreceptor differentiation by insulin signaling, however, remain largely undefined. In this study, we reveal a key role for sub-retinal glia in timing the differentiation of photoreceptor neurons (R cells) in the developing Drosophila eye imaginal disc. Decreasing the signaling of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in sub-retinal glia delayed R-cell differentiation. In contrast, hyperactivating the EGFR pathway in sub-retinal glia caused the precocious R-cell differentiation. Cell-type-specific knockdown, epistasis analysis, and transgene rescue indicate that insulin-like peptides I

SUBMITTER: Ren Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12741512 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature