Targeted molecular profiling of rare olfactory sensory neurons identifies fate, wiring and functional determinants
- University of Lausanne, Switzerland
Abstract
Determining the molecular properties of neurons is essential to understand their development, function and evolution. Using Targeted DamID (TaDa), we characterize RNA polymerase II occupancy and chromatin accessibility in selected Ionotropic receptor (Ir)-expressing olfactory sensory neurons in Drosophila. Although individual populations represent a minute fraction of cells, TaDa is sufficiently sensitive and specific to identify the expected receptor genes. Unique Ir expression is not consistently associated with differences in chromatin accessibility, but rather to distinct transcription factor profiles. Genes that are heterogeneously-expressed across populations are enriched for neurodevelopmental factors, and we identify functions for the POU-domain protein Pdm3 as a genetic switch of Ir neuron fate, and the atypical cadherin Flamingo in segregation of neurons into discrete glomeruli. Together this study reveals the effectiveness of TaDa in profiling rare neural populations, identifies new roles for a transcription factor and a neuronal guidance molecule, and provides valuable datasets for future exploration.
Data availability
All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in the manuscript and supporting files, or in data repositories as specified in the corresponding methods section.
Article and author information
Author details
Funding
Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (12A14)
- J Roman Arguello
FP7 Ideas: European Research Council (615094)
- Richard Benton
H2020 European Research Council (833548)
- Richard Benton
Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (310030B 185377)
- Richard Benton
The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.
Reviewing Editor
- Mani Ramaswami, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
Version history
- Received: September 11, 2020
- Accepted: March 4, 2021
- Accepted Manuscript published: March 5, 2021 (version 1)
- Version of Record published: March 25, 2021 (version 2)
Copyright
© 2021, Arguello et al.
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.
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Targeted molecular profiling of rare olfactory sensory neurons identifies fate, wiring and functional determinants
eLife 10:e63036.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.63036
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