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Development 129, 1295-1306 (2002)
© 2002 The Company of Biologists Limited

REVIEW ARTICLE

R8 development in the Drosophila eye: a paradigm for neural selection and differentiation

Benjamin J. Frankfort1,2 and Graeme Mardon1,2,3,4,5,*

1 Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
2 Department of Pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
3 Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
4 Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
5 Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA

*Author for correspondence (e-mail: gmardon{at}bcm.tmc.edu)

Accepted 19 December 2001

The Drosophila eye is an outstanding model with which to decipher mechanisms of neural differentiation. Paramount to normal eye development is the organized selection and differentiation of a patterned array of R8 photoreceptors – the founding photoreceptor of each ommatidium that coordinates the incorporation of all other photoreceptors. R8 development is a complex process that requires the integration of transcription factors and signaling pathways, many of which are highly conserved and perform similar functions in other species. This article discusses the developmental control of the four key elements of R8 development: selection, spacing, differentiation and orchestration of later events. New questions that have surfaced because of recent advances in the field are addressed, and the unique characteristics of R8 development are highlighted through comparisons with neural specification in other Drosophila tissues and with ganglion cell development in the mammalian retina.

Key words: Drosophila, eye, R8 photoreceptors




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[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2002