A Genetic Approach to the Study of Neurogenesis and Myogenesis

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Abstract
Extensive sequences of morphological differentiation have been described for Drosophila melanogaster neurogenesis and myogenesis. Neuroblasts and myoblasts become determined in the blastoderm or shortly thereafter. Each blast cell will then morphologically differentiate in vitro in sequences that closely resemble the events in vivo. Functional neurons, muscle cells and neuromuscular junctions form and these have normal biochemical and ultrastructural characteristics. A mutant hunt was conducted which was designed to generate mutations specific to neurogenesis or myogenesis. One mutation was recovered that apparently interfered only with myogenesis. The frequency of recovered mutations that affected cell differentiation was low and led to estimates that relatively few genes are required to preserve the structural integrity of cells during neurogenesis and myogenesis.
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