MicroRNA-9a ensures the precise specification of sensory organ precursors in Drosophila

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in regulating various aspects of animal development, but their functions in neurogenesis are largely unknown. Here we report that loss of miR-9a function in the Drosophila peripheral nervous system leads to ectopic production of sensory organ precursors (SOPs)...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Genes & development 2006-10, Vol.20 (20), p.2793-2805
Main Authors: Li, Yan, Wang, Fay, Lee, Jin-A, Gao, Fen-Biao
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
3' Untranslated Regions
Animals
Animals, Genetically Modified
Base Sequence
Drosophila
Drosophila melanogaster - genetics
Drosophila melanogaster - metabolism
Epithelial Cells - cytology
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
MicroRNAs
Models, Biological
Models, Genetic
Molecular Sequence Data
Mutation
Neurons - metabolism
Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
Wings, Animal - embryology
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Summary:MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in regulating various aspects of animal development, but their functions in neurogenesis are largely unknown. Here we report that loss of miR-9a function in the Drosophila peripheral nervous system leads to ectopic production of sensory organ precursors (SOPs), whereas overexpression of miR-9a results in a severe loss of SOPs. We further demonstrate a strong genetic interaction between miR-9a and senseless (sens) in controlling the formation of SOPs in the adult wing imaginal disc. Moreover, miR-9a suppresses Sens expression through its 3' untranslated region. miR-9a is expressed in epithelial cells, including those adjacent to SOPs within proneural clusters, suggesting that miR-9a normally inhibits neuronal fate in non-SOP cells by down-regulating Sens expression. These results indicate that miR-9a ensures the generation of the precise number of neuronal precursor cells during development.
ISSN:0890-9369
1549-5477
DOI:10.1101/gad.1466306