PgmNr D1042: CG9650: A novel regulator of patterning of the Indirect Flight Muscles of Drosophila melanogaster.

Authors:
S. Jawkar 1 ; U. Nongthomba 1


Institutes
1) Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Bangalore,560012- INDIA; 2) Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Bangalore,560012- INDIA.


Keyword: Notch

Abstract:

Myoblasts housed on the notum region of the wing disc undergo cell-lineage dependant specification, proliferation, migration and differentiation to finally generate the two groups of Indirect Flight Muscles (IFMs), i.e. the Dorsal Longitudinal Muscles (DLMs) and Dorsal Ventral Muscles (DVMs). Defects in any of these highly synchronised processes lead to abnormal patterning of the IFMs. CG9650, a gene predicted to be involved in neural development, was found to be highly expressed in proliferating and migrating myoblasts. Tissue specific knockdown of CG9650 led to a defect in the pattern of the IFMs. The function of CG9650 was found to be important in the founder cell population of the myoblasts. Immunostaining for known regulators of IFM patterning indicated a role of CG9650 in regulating the expression of Notch, and subsequently Twist in proliferating and migrating myoblasts. Knockdown of CG9650 also led to an accumulation of Wingless levels. In this study, we provide evidence implicating CG9650 as an important regulator of Notch expression during early IFM development.