Biologjia Online

Proneural bHLH transcription factors are key mediators of Notch signaling, but their transcriptional targets and thus the mechanisms by which they contribute to neurogenesis are largely unknown. Reeves and Posakony undertook a systematic approach to proneural bHLH function, by FACS isolating cells of the Drosophila peripheral nervous system (PNS). Their analysis of PNS proneural-dependent gene expression not only identifies a large number of proneural targets and validates their functional importance in the PNS, but also defines a new transcriptional code highlighting Notch-independent proneural bHLH functions. This code may identify new classes of proneural bHLH targets in other organisms as well.