Analysis of neural stem cell self-renewal and differentiation using in vivo RNAi in drosophila.

Drosophila neural stem cells, larval brain neuroblasts, have recently emerged as a new model for the study of stem cells self-renewal and differentiation. This delicate balance is achieved through asymmetric division of neuroblasts. The factors that are required for self-renewal or differentiation a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Wong, Jian Xiang.
Other Authors: School of Biological Sciences
Format: Final Year Project
Language:English
Published: 2010
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10356/20714
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Institution: Nanyang Technological University
Language: English
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Summary:Drosophila neural stem cells, larval brain neuroblasts, have recently emerged as a new model for the study of stem cells self-renewal and differentiation. This delicate balance is achieved through asymmetric division of neuroblasts. The factors that are required for self-renewal or differentiation are localized asymmetrically and segregated into different daughter cells during neuroblast divisions. Failure of asymmetric division of neuroblasts can result in over-proliferation resembling tumor formation or abnormal brain development. In this study, we screened a collection of 500 RNAi lines and identified a number of mutants in the process. Given the conserved molecular mechanisms of asymmetric divisions between fly and mammals, our study will greatly contribute to a better understanding of neural stem cells self-renewal and differentiation during mammalian neurogenesis as well as tumorigenesis.