The Drosophila central nervous system (CNS) is a key model for investigating brain development. The larval CNS is populated by neural stem cells, known as neuroblasts (NBs), that give rise to the majority of neurons in the adult brain. Although most NBs are type I (NBI), there is also a rare subpopulation of type II (NBII) neuroblasts. During NB differentiation, stem cell genes are silenced and lineage-specific genes must be activated. However, the dynamic modifications of histones have not been well studied in vivo. Now, Jürgen Knoblich and colleagues use a FACS-based ChIP-seq method to profile active and repressive chromatin states in different cell types isolated from the larval brain. They reveal that silencing of stem cell identity genes are regulated, not by gaining repressive histone marks, but through the loss of activating histone modifications. In addition, the authors use NB tumours (normalised against healthy NBI counterparts) to profile the rare NBII lineage. The researchers identify new genes specific to NBII cells and demonstrate a role for the Polycomb complex in providing repressive modifications that favour NBII differentiation. Together, these datasets provide a valuable resource of changing histone modifications in neuronal lineages.
An epigenetic landscape of Drosophila neurogenesis
- Split-screen
- Views Icon Views
-
Article Versions Icon
Versions
- Version of Record 02 December 2019
- Share Icon Share
-
Tools Icon
Tools
- Search Site
An epigenetic landscape of Drosophila neurogenesis. Development 1 December 2019; 146 (23): e2301. doi:
Download citation file:
Advertisement
Cited by
About us

Our publisher, The Company of Biologists, turns 100 this year. Read about the history of the Company and find out what Sarah Bray, our Chair of the Board of Directors, has to say.
Biologists @ 100 - join us in Liverpool in March 2025

We are excited to invite you to a unique scientific conference, celebrating the 100-year anniversary of The Company of Biologists, and bringing together our different communities. The conference will incorporate the Spring Meetings of the BSCB and the BSDB, the JEB Symposium Sensory Perception in a Changing World and a DMM programme on antimicrobial resistance. Find out more and register by 28 February 2025 to join us in March 2025 in Liverpool, UK.
Call for papers – Lifelong Development: the Maintenance, Regeneration and Plasticity of Tissues

Development invites you to submit your latest research to our upcoming special issue – Lifelong Development: the Maintenance, Regeneration and Plasticity of Tissues. This issue will be coordinated by Guest Editors Meritxell Huch (Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Germany) and Mansi Srivastava (Harvard University and Museum of Comparative Zoology, USA), working alongside our team of academic Editors. Submit your articles by 15 May 2025.
A case for broadening our view of mechanism in developmental biology

In this Perspective, B. Duygu Özpolat and colleagues survey researchers on their views on what it takes to infer mechanism in developmental biology. They examine what factors shape our idea of what we mean by ‘mechanism’ and suggest a path forward that embraces a broad outlook on the diversity of studies that advance knowledge in our field.
In preprints
Did you know that Development publishes perspectives on recent preprints? These articles help our readers navigate the ever-growing preprint literature. We welcome proposals for ‘In preprints’ articles, so please do get in touch if you’d like to contribute.