The central regulatory circuit in the gene network controlling the morphogenesis of Drosophila mechanoreceptors: an in silico analysis.

Identification of the mechanisms underlying the genetic control of spatial structure formation is among the relevant tasks of developmental biology. Both experimental and theoretical approaches and methods are used for this purpose, including gene network methodology, as well as mathematical and computer modeling. Reconstruction and analysis of the gene networks that provide the formation of traits allow us to integrate the existing experimental data and to identify the key links and intra-network connections that ensure the function of networks.

[Gene Network Controlling the Morphogenesis of D. melanogaster Macrochaetes: An Expanded Model of the Central Regulatory Circuit].

The drosophila macrochaetes act as mechanoreceptors, the sensory organs of the peripheral nervous system. Each mechanoreceptor consists of four specialized cells, namely, the shaft, socket, neuron, and sheath. All these cells develop from a single cell referred to as the sensory organ precursor (SOP) cell.

[The Mechanisms Determining Bristle Pattern in Drosophila melanogaster].

Macrochaetes (large bristles) are arranged on the drosophila head and notum in a specific bristle pattern. The number and positions of the macrochaetes forming the pattern are important species-specific characteristics, which are determined by a strict positioning of the proneural clusters in the in the imaginal disc ectoderm in the third instar larvae and prepupae. In turn, the positioning of proneural clusters depends on the distribution of the so-called prepattern factors, responsible for the bristle prepatterning.

A model study of the morphogenesis of D. melanogaster mechanoreceptors: the central regulatory circuit.

Macrochaetes (large bristles) are sensor organs of the Drosophila peripheral nervous system with a function of mechanoreceptors. An adult mechanoreceptor comprises four specialized cells: shaft (trichogen), socket (tormogen), neuron, and glial cell (thecogen). All these cells originate from a single cell, the so-called sensor organ precursor (SOP) cell.

[Model investigation of central regulatory contour of gene net of D. melanogaster macrochaete morphogenesis].

Morphogenesis of drosophila macrochaete functioning as mechanoreceptors includes several steps, each of which has their own genetic support described in terms of gene nets. Mechanoreceptor develops from one parental cell (Parental Cell of Sensor Organ-PCSO), the determination of which has a critical role in macrochaete development. The highest content of AS-C proneural proteins with respect to surrounding cells that initiate a neural way of cellular development and by means of it mechanoreceptor morphogenesis is typical for PCSO.