Recent advances provide an increasingly sophisticated understanding of
Drosophila CNS development. First, genes have been identified that sp
ecify unique neuroblast cell fates. Second, neuroblasts have been foun
d to use a novel mechanism for asymmetric localization of proteins int
o one daughter cell at mitosis. Third, a gene controlling the choice b
etween glial/neuronal determination has been discovered. And finally,
new cell-lineage methods are being used to determine the entire lineag
e of identified neuroblasts, including axon projections and synaptic c
ontacts.