Figure 4From: Orthodenticle is necessary for survival of a cluster of clonally related dopaminergic neurons in the Drosophila larval and adult brainotd is expressed in PPL2 dopaminergic neurons in the adult brain. (A) otd (blue) expression in the PPL2 cell cluster of TH-positive (red) DA neurons in the adult brain. The PPL2 cell cluster labeled with a yellow asterisk is magnified and otd expression (A 1 -A 4 ) and oc2 enhancer activity (A' 1 -A' 4 ) are analyzed in single optical sections. Scale bars: 10 μm. (B) In ocγa1hemizygous flies, the seven PPL2 DA neurons are not detected using anti-TH immunoreactivity. (C) Targeted expression of an otd-specific RNA interference construct in DA neurons (using the TH-gal4 driver) impairs the viability of four PPL2 DA neurons in the adult brain of otdYH13heterozygous flies (7 days old). (C,C 1 -C 3 ) TH and otd expression in the resulting PPL2 cluster (labeled with a yellow asterisk in (C)) is analyzed at higher magnification. Scale bars: 10 μm. (D 1 -D 4 ) Targeted expression of P35 in Otd-depleted DA neurons (using the TH-gal4 driver) rescues cell viability and TH expression in PPL2 DA neurons in the adult brain of otdYH13heterozygous flies (7 days old). Pictures represent single optical sections. Scale bars: 10 μm. (D' 1 -D' 4 ) Otd protein levels in four PPL2 DA neurons (1, 2, 5 and 7) are not recovered. Panels (A-C,C1-C3) represent Z projections of individual confocal optical sections. Scale bars in (A-C): 50 μm. DA, dopaminergic; GFP, green fluorescent protein; oc, ocelliless; otd, orthodenticle; PPL, protocerebral posterior lateral; RNAi, RNA interference; TH, tyrosine hydroxylase.Back to article page