The receptor tyrosine kinase gene linotte is required for neuronal pathway selection in the Drosophila mushroom bodies

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.