遗传学

来源出版物：Journal of Genetics and Genomics，2015，42（5）： 261-274联系邮箱：Ji-Long Liu，jilong.liu@dpag.ox.ac.uk

封面介绍：CTP synthase catalyses the tenth and last reaction in the de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway. Recently，CTP synthase has been found to form flamentous structures cytoophidia（Greek for “cell snakes”）in a variety of organisms including bacteria，budding yeast，fssion yeast，fruit fies and humans. The cover image by Tastan and Liu（pp. 261-274）shows that overexpressing CTP synthase using the Prospero-GAL4 driver induces the assembly of cytoophidia（green，labeled by CTP synthase-GFP）in neuroblasts（red，labeled by Miranda，a marker for neural stem cells）and other neuronal cells in a developing Drosophila brain. Filamentation of CTP synthase into cytoophidia might provide a novel mechanism regulating pyrimidine metabolism.

CTP Synthase Is Required for Optic Lobe Homeostasis in Drosophila

Ömür Y. Tastan，Ji-Long Liu

CTP synthase（CTPsyn）is a metabolic enzyme responsible for the de novo synthesis of the nucleotide CTP. Several recent studies have shown that CTPsyn forms filamentous subcellular structures known as cytoophidia in bacteria，yeast，fruit flies and humans. However，it remains elusive whether and how CTPsyn and cytoophidia play a role during development. Here，we show that cytoophidia are abundant in the neuroepithelial stem cells in Drosophila optic lobes. Optic lobes are underdeveloped in CTPsyn mutants as well as in CTPsyn RNAi. Moreover，overexpressing CTPsyn impairs the development of optic lobes，specifically by blocking the transition from neuroepithelium to neuroblast. Taken together，our results indicate that CTPsyn is critical for optic lobe homeostasis in Drosophila.

CTP synthase； Cytoophidium； Drosophila； Central nervous system； Neuroepithelial stem cell