Résumé
The
linotte (
lio) mutant was first isolated as a memory mutant. The
lio gene encodes a putative receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), homologous to the human protein RYK. This gene has been independently identified in a screen for embryonic nervous system axonal guidance defects and called
derailed (
drl). Here, we report that
linotte mutants present structural brain defects in the adult central complex (CX) and mushroom bodies (MB).
linotte and
derailed are allelic for this phenotype, which can be rescued by a
drl
+ transgene. The Lio RTK is expressed preferentially in the adult CX and MB. Our results suggest that, analogous to its role within the embryonic nervous system, the Lio RTK is involved in neuronal pathway selection during adult brain development.