BRDU INCORPORATION REVEALS DNA-REPLICATION IN NON DIVIDING GLIAL-CELLS IN THE LARVAL ABDOMINAL CNS OF DROSOPHILA

Glial cells are of significant importance for central nervous system d evelopment and function. In in sects, knowledge of the types and devel opment of CNS glia is rather low. This is especially true for postembr yonic glial development. Using bromodeoxyuridine incorporation and enh ancer trap lines we identified a reproducible spatial and temporal pat tern of DNA replicating cells in the abdominal larval CNS (A3-7 neurom eres) of Drosophila melanogaster. These cells correspond to em bryonic ally established glial cells in that region. Except for a specific sub fraction, these cells apparently do not divide during larval life. Sim ilar patterns were found in two other Drosophila species, D. virilis a nd D. hydei.