Investigating the Role of the Glypican Dally in the Development of the Drosophila Central Nervous System
Nina Nicole Marcelo
Department of Biology
Faculty Supervisor: Blake Riggs
The generation of cell diversity is a crucial step in multicellular development and is achieved through the asymmetric partitioning of factors during cell division. These cell fate determinants are essential for the development of tissues and organs such as the central nervous system (CNS). However, the mechanisms by which these determinants are organized and partitioned during cell division remain poorly understood. Previous studies have suggested that the highly conserved endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein Jagunal (Jagn) may play a role in the proper establishment of these cell fate determinants in proneuronal cells. Recently, we demonstrated that the glypican Dally (Division Abnormally Delayed) is a genetic interactor of Jagunal. We hypothesize that Dally contributes to cell fate determination by regulating neuroblast division and differentiation. In this study, we examined Drosophila larval brains deficient in Dally to assess the proper establishment of CNS neuroblast populations. Our results show that Dally-deficient brains display neuroblast and differentiated cell populations similar to those of control lines, suggesting that Dally may act downstream in CNS development. Taken together, our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of cell division and neurogenesis.