Brunet Avalos, C. et al. Elife 8, pii: e50354 (2019)

The brain is composed of different cell types that drive many complex behaviors. The simplicity of the Drosophila larva makes it an ideal candidate to explore the different brain-cell types and understand their functions. Using a single-cell RNA sequencing approach, a new study established a molecular cell atlas of the first instar larval brain and identified five major cell groups—neural progenitors, differentiated neurons, glia, undifferentiated neurons and non-neural cells. Three major classes of neural progenitor cells (neuroblasts, optic lobe precursors and mushroom body neuroblasts) were also identified. This transcriptomic analysis extends the list of marker genes previously described for each brain-cell type, making the atlas a useful tool for future developmental or functional studies.