IDENTIFICATION AND CELL LINEAGE OF INDIVIDUAL NEURAL PRECURSORS IN THE DROSOPHILA CNS

The Drosophila CNS is complex enough to serve as a model for many of t he molecular, cellular and developmental functions of the vertebrate C NS, yet simple enough for single-cell analysis. Recent advances have p rovided molecular markers that allow most Drosophila CNS precursors to be uniquely identified, as well as methods for determining the comple te cell lineage of each precursor. A detailed understanding of wild-ty pe neurogenesis, combined with existing molecular genetic techniques, should provide insight into the fundamental mechanisms that generate n euronal and glial diversity.