The Gcm/Glide molecular and cellular pathway: New actors and new lineages

In Drosophila, the transcription factor Gcm/Glide plays a key role in cell fate determination and cellular differentiation. In light of its crucial biological impact, major efforts have been put for analyzing its properties as master regulator, from both structural and functional points of view. However, the lack of efficient antibodies specific to the Gcm/Glide protein precluded thorough analyses of its regulation and activity in vivo.In order to relieve such restraints, we designed an epitope-tagging approach to “FLAG”-recognize and analyze the functional protein both in vitro (exogenous Gcm/Glide) and in vivo (endogenous protein).We here (i) reveal a tight interconnection between the small RNA and the Gcm/Glide pathways. AGO1 and miR-1 are Gcm/Glide targets whereas miR-279 negatively controls Gcm/Glide expression (ii) identify a novel cell population, peritracheal cells, expressing and requiring Gcm/Glide. Peritracheal cells are non-neuronal neurosecretory cells that are essential in ecdysis.In addition to emphasizing the importance of following the distribution and the activity of endogenous proteins in vivo, this study provides new insights and a novel frame to understand the Gcm/Glide biology.

► FLAG tagging allows the analysis of a functional Gcm/Glide protein in vivo/in vitro.
► Gcm/Glide is post-translationally modified through phosphorylation.
► AGO1 and microRNA-1 are identified as new Gcm/Glide targets.
► microRNA-279 down-regulates Gcm/Glide expression.
► Ecdysis-involved neurosecretory peritracheal cells express and require Gcm/Glide.