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Published June 1985 | public
Journal Article

Molecular analysis of the development of the compound eye in Drosophila

Abstract

In the Drosophila eye, the photoreceptor neurons assume characteristic positions and form precise synaptic connections to the optic ganglia. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms governing the formation of these patterns. In the past, the heterogeneity of neural tissue has been a formidable obstacle to molecular studies. Recombinant DNA and monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) now facilitate the identification and isolation of specific molecules in the developing nervous system. With monoclonal antibodies, anatomical descriptions can be extended to the molecular level. By fusing myeloma cells with the spleen cells of mice immunized with tissue homogenates, one can isolate a set of hybridomas, each secreting an antibody which recognizes a unique determinant present in the initial mixture2. By immunofluorescence microscopy, the tissue distribution and developmental time course of each antigen can be determined. Antigens correlated with specific developmental events or structures can be isolated by using MAbs as selective biochemical reagents. The genes encoding polypeptide antigens can be isolated by recombinant DNA techniques, and mutations in these genes provide a means of determining their functions. In this review, we describe the use of MAbs as molecular probes for studying the development of photoreceptor neurons in the Drosophila eye, and give an example of the application of molecular techniques to the characterization of neuron-specific polypeptide antigens and their genes.

Additional Information

© 1985 Elsevier. We thank Patricia Renfranz for Fig. 4 and Dennis Ballinger, Utpal Bannerjee and John Pollock for their comments on the manuscript This work was supported by the Gosney Foundation (TRV), The Helen Hay Whitney Foundation and The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (SLZ), and National Science Foundation Grant PCM 79-11771 (SB)

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 20, 2023