Project description:We generated whole genome expression profiles from a homogeneous population of purified pacemaker neurons (ventral Lateral Neurons, LNvs) from wild type and clock mutant Drosophila. The study identifes a group of genes whose expression is highly enriched in LNvs compared to other neurons; and a second group of genes rhythmically expressed in LNvs in a clock-dependent manner. Drosophila larval brains (L3 stage) were taken from a 12:12hr light entrainment regime and dissected at ZT-3 or ZT-15. Larvae contained either Pdf-Gal4:UAS-GFP transgenes or Pdf-RFP to label the 8 LNvs pacemaker neurons per brain, allowing purification by flow cytometry. Brains were dissociated and LNvs purified by FACS, followed by RNA amplification and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays.
Project description:While intensely studied in the context of synaptic plasticity, the interplay between electrical activity and transcription is also relevant to circadian pacemaker neurons where ~24hr rhythms in gene expression and neural activity define the functional state of clock neurons. Here we demonstrate broad transcriptional changes in Drosophila circadian pacemaker neurons (LNvs) in response to altered electrical activity, including a large set of circadian genes. We used microarrays to identify the global program of gene expression in purified Drosophila pacemaker neurons in response to targeted electrical manipulations
Project description:We generated whole genome expression profiles from a homogeneous population of purified pacemaker neurons (ventral Lateral Neurons, LNvs) from wild type and clock mutant Drosophila. The study identifes a group of genes whose expression is highly enriched in LNvs compared to other neurons; and a second group of genes rhythmically expressed in LNvs in a clock-dependent manner.
Project description:microRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs involved in the coordination and/or fine-tuning of gene expression. As such, miRNAs are thought to be critical cis-acting regulatory factors that control a wide range of physiological processes in the brain. The datasets presented here represent the miRNA transcriptome of the adult and larval Drosophila melanogaster CNS as determined by small RNA deep sequencing (RNA-Seq). They were derived from adult and larval samples explanted from the animal that contain minimal extraneous (non-neuronal) tissues. Here we present a concise summary of our profiling results as well as the original sequencing data. We identify many miRNAs that are expressed at equal levels in both tissues and several that are significantly enriched in the larval and adult brain. Some of these belong to miRNA families with conserved members in mammals. These datasets should provide a good starting point for others interested in characterizing miRNAs with putative functions in Drosophila neurons.
