Targeted expression of IrreC-rst in central complex structures by use of the GAL4/UAS-System


Background literature to GAL4/UAS-System: Brand, A.H., Perrimon, N. (1993). Targeted Gene Expression as a Means of Altering Cell Fates and Generating Dominant Phenotypes. Development 118:401-415

UAS-reporter gene used in our experiments was: HB3 (irreC-rst cDNA; Ramos et al., 1993). Transformation by Zhiping Nie. Detection of the IrreC-rst protein with mab24A5.1 by Christian Reiter in optical sections of pupal brain whole mounts.


GAL4 line 507 was obtained from Gerhard Technau and Joachim Urban

Final size 293 K

Abbreviations in blown up Figure: ac, antennal commissure; al, antennal lobe; alpha, alpha-lobe of mushroom body; an, antennal nerve; beta, beta lobe of mushroom body; ca, central canal of ellipsoid body; fb, fan shaped body; ir, inner ring of ellipsoid body; oes, oesophagus; or, outer ring of ellipsoid body; p, peduncle of mushroom body.

Compare adult Golgi preparation


GAL4 line 124, obtained from Klemens Stoertkuhl, labels ring neurons of the ellipsoid body

The outer ring of the ellipsoid body (eb) formed by the terminals of R2 and R4 neurons ( Hanesch et al., 1989) is beautifully stained in GAL4 line 124 ectopically expressing UAS-HB3 (see below). The IrreC-rst protein is transported into the axonal terminals. In the cell bodies (cb), cell body fibres and putative dendritic regions (lateral triangles, ltr) only patchy IrreC-rst immunoreactivity is visible.

Labels in blown up version only.

Final size 176 K


In summary, in the above GAL4-lines, gross anatomical anomalies of central brain structures misexpressing IrreC-rst have not been detected so far. A complete different story is IrreC-rst misexpression in the optic lobes (in preparation).

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