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Identifier

000334465

Title

Ο ρόλος του σηματοδοτικού μονοπατιού Notch στην αυτο-ανανέωση & διαφοροποίηση των νευρικών βλαστικών κυττάρων στον εγκέφαλο της προνύμφης της D.melanogaster

Alternative Title

Role of the Notch pathway in the self-renewal vs differentiation process of neuroblasts in the larval brain of D.melanogaster

Author

Ζαχαριουδάκη, Ευανθία

Thesis advisor

Δελιδάκης, Χρήστος

Abstract

Postembryonic neuroblasts in D.melanogaster are neural stem cells that preexist in the central nervous system and remain in quiescence after embryogenesis until larval stages when they enter a new cycle of asymmetric cell divisions to produce all neurons necessary in the adult fly. The mechanisms involved in the selfrenewal versus differentiation process have gathered the world-wide interest since they will offer valuable insights into the mechanisms of stem cell proliferation and differentiation. The Notch pathway seems to be involved in the process of selfrenewal vs differentiation in the larval brain since its over-activation leads to overgrowths in the central brain. Some of the bHLH-Orange genes, also known as Hairy-Enhancer of split or HES genes, many of which are targets of Notch in several processes (e.g development of CNS and PNS during embryogenesis), seem to be expressed in neuroblasts (E(spl)mγ, E(spl)m8 and Dpn) whereas another gene of the family, Hey, is expressed in the newly synthesized neurons. In this work, we studied the role of these HES genes in self-renewal vs differentiation and the possibility that they are under the control of the Notch pathway. Gain and loss of function analysis for Notch receptor –as well as for other members of the pathway- revealed that E(spl)mγ, E(spl)m8 and Hey are targets of Notch while Dpn is not not. Finally, it was found that overexpression of E(spl)mγ or E(spl)m3 is sufficient to provoke overproliferation of neuroblasts in the central larval brain, a phenotype observed during over-expression of Notch.

Language

Greek

Subject

HES

bHLH-Orange

Μεταμβρυίκοί νευροβλάστες

Νευρικό σύστημα

Issue date

2008-12-04

Collection

School/Department--School of Sciences and Engineering--Department of Biology--Post-graduate theses

Type of Work--Post-graduate theses