KRUPPEL, A DROSOPHILA SEGMENTATION GENE, PARTICIPATES IN THE SPECIFICATION OF NEURONS AND GLIAL-CELLS

We report that the Drosophila segmentation gene Kruppel (Kr) is expres sed in neural precursor cells, neurons and glia cells at different sta ges of neurogenesis and that Kr mutants develop aberrant peripheral (P NS) and central (CNS) nervous systems. Expression derived from a Kr mi nigene rescues the segmentation defects but these embryos continue to lack most of the neural Kr activity. Phenotypic analysis of the rescue d embryos indicates that, in addition to overall effects on the PNS an d CNS structure via its segmentation role, Kr expression in the nervou s system is functionally required for establishing particular neural a nd glial fates.