1
|
Kim YD, Park HG, Song S, Kim J, Lee BJ, Broadie K, Lee S. Presynaptic structural and functional plasticity are coupled by convergent Rap1 signaling. J Cell Biol 2024; 223:e202309095. [PMID: 38748250 PMCID: PMC11096849 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202309095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Dynamic presynaptic actin remodeling drives structural and functional plasticity at synapses, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Previous work has shown that actin regulation via Rac1 guanine exchange factor (GEF) Vav signaling restrains synaptic growth via bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-induced receptor macropinocytosis and mediates synaptic potentiation via mobilization of reserve pool vesicles in presynaptic boutons. Here, we find that Gef26/PDZ-GEF and small GTPase Rap1 signaling couples the BMP-induced activation of Abelson kinase to this Vav-mediated macropinocytosis. Moreover, we find that adenylate cyclase Rutabaga (Rut) signaling via exchange protein activated by cAMP (Epac) drives the mobilization of reserve pool vesicles during post-tetanic potentiation (PTP). We discover that Rap1 couples activation of Rut-cAMP-Epac signaling to Vav-mediated synaptic potentiation. These findings indicate that Rap1 acts as an essential, convergent node for Abelson kinase and cAMP signaling to mediate BMP-induced structural plasticity and activity-induced functional plasticity via Vav-dependent regulation of the presynaptic actin cytoskeleton.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yeongjin David Kim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyun Gwan Park
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seunghwan Song
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Joohyung Kim
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Byoung Ju Lee
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kendal Broadie
- Departments of Cell and Developmental Biology, Pharmacology, and Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Seungbok Lee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
DePew AT, Bruckner JJ, O'Connor-Giles KM, Mosca TJ. Neuronal LRP4 directs the development, maturation and cytoskeletal organization of Drosophila peripheral synapses. Development 2024; 151:dev202517. [PMID: 38738619 PMCID: PMC11190576 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Synaptic development requires multiple signaling pathways to ensure successful connections. Transmembrane receptors are optimally positioned to connect the synapse and the rest of the neuron, often acting as synaptic organizers to synchronize downstream events. One such organizer, the LDL receptor-related protein LRP4, is a cell surface receptor that has been most well-studied postsynaptically at mammalian neuromuscular junctions. Recent work, however, identified emerging roles, but how LRP4 acts as a presynaptic organizer and the downstream mechanisms of LRP4 are not well understood. Here, we show that LRP4 functions presynaptically at Drosophila neuromuscular synapses, acting in motoneurons to instruct pre- and postsynaptic development. Loss of presynaptic LRP4 results in multiple defects, impairing active zone organization, synapse growth, physiological function, microtubule organization, synaptic ultrastructure and synapse maturation. We further demonstrate that LRP4 promotes most aspects of presynaptic development via a downstream SR-protein kinase, SRPK79D. These data demonstrate a function for presynaptic LRP4 as a peripheral synaptic organizer, highlight a downstream mechanism conserved with its CNS function in Drosophila, and underscore previously unappreciated but important developmental roles for LRP4 in cytoskeletal organization, synapse maturation and active zone organization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alison T. DePew
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Joseph J. Bruckner
- Cell and Molecular Biology Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Kate M. O'Connor-Giles
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Timothy J. Mosca
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Lewis SA, Forstrom J, Tavani J, Schafer R, Tiede Z, Padilla-Lopez SR, Kruer MC. eIF2α phosphorylation evokes dystonia-like movements with D2-receptor and cholinergic origin and abnormal neuronal connectivity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.14.594240. [PMID: 38798458 PMCID: PMC11118466 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.14.594240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Dystonia is the 3rd most common movement disorder. Dystonia is acquired through either injury or genetic mutations, with poorly understood molecular and cellular mechanisms. Eukaryotic initiation factor alpha (eIF2α) controls cell state including neuronal plasticity via protein translation control and expression of ATF4. Dysregulated eIF2α phosphorylation (eIF2α-P) occurs in dystonia patients and models including DYT1, but the consequences are unknown. We increased/decreased eIF2α-P and tested motor control and neuronal properties in a Drosophila model. Bidirectionally altering eIF2α-P produced dystonia-like abnormal posturing and dyskinetic movements in flies. These movements were also observed with expression of the DYT1 risk allele. We identified cholinergic and D2-receptor neuroanatomical origins of these dyskinetic movements caused by genetic manipulations to dystonia molecular candidates eIF2α-P, ATF4, or DYT1, with evidence for decreased cholinergic release. In vivo, increased and decreased eIF2α-P increase synaptic connectivity at the NMJ with increased terminal size and bouton synaptic release sites. Long-term treatment of elevated eIF2α-P with ISRIB restored adult longevity, but not performance in a motor assay. Disrupted eIF2α-P signaling may alter neuronal connectivity, change synaptic release, and drive motor circuit changes in dystonia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara A Lewis
- Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Departments of Child Health, Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Genetics, and Neurology, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Jacob Forstrom
- Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Departments of Child Health, Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Genetics, and Neurology, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Jennifer Tavani
- Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Departments of Child Health, Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Genetics, and Neurology, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Robert Schafer
- Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Departments of Child Health, Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Genetics, and Neurology, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Zach Tiede
- Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Departments of Child Health, Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Genetics, and Neurology, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Sergio R Padilla-Lopez
- Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Departments of Child Health, Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Genetics, and Neurology, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Michael C Kruer
- Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Departments of Child Health, Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Genetics, and Neurology, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Programs in Neuroscience, Molecular & Cellular Biology, and Biomedical Informatics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Nguyen TH, Vicidomini R, Choudhury SD, Han TH, Maric D, Brody T, Serpe M. scRNA-seq data from the larval Drosophila ventral cord provides a resource for studying motor systems function and development. Dev Cell 2024; 59:1210-1230.e9. [PMID: 38569548 PMCID: PMC11078614 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
The Drosophila larval ventral nerve cord (VNC) shares many similarities with the spinal cord of vertebrates and has emerged as a major model for understanding the development and function of motor systems. Here, we use high-quality scRNA-seq, validated by anatomical identification, to create a comprehensive census of larval VNC cell types. We show that the neural lineages that comprise the adult VNC are already defined, but quiescent, at the larval stage. Using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS)-enriched populations, we separate all motor neuron bundles and link individual neuron clusters to morphologically characterized known subtypes. We discovered a glutamate receptor subunit required for basal neurotransmission and homeostasis at the larval neuromuscular junction. We describe larval glia and endorse the general view that glia perform consistent activities throughout development. This census represents an extensive resource and a powerful platform for future discoveries of cellular and molecular mechanisms in repair, regeneration, plasticity, homeostasis, and behavioral coordination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Dragan Maric
- Flow and Imaging Cytometry Core, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
von Saucken VE, Windner SE, Baylies MK. Postsynaptic BMP signaling regulates myonuclear properties in Drosophila larval muscles. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.10.588944. [PMID: 38645063 PMCID: PMC11030338 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.10.588944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
The syncytial mammalian muscle fiber contains a heterogeneous population of (myo)nuclei. At the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), myonuclei have specialized positioning and gene expression. However, it remains unclear how myonuclei are recruited and what regulates myonuclear output at the NMJ. Here, we identify specific properties of myonuclei located near the Drosophila larval NMJ. These synaptic myonuclei have increased size in relation to their surrounding cytoplasmic domain (scaling), increased DNA content (ploidy), and increased levels of transcription factor pMad, a readout for BMP signaling activity. Our genetic manipulations show local BMP signaling affects muscle size, nuclear size, ploidy, and NMJ size and function. In support, RNA sequencing analysis reveals that pMad regulates genes involved in muscle growth, ploidy (i.e., E2f1), and neurotransmission. Our data suggest that muscle BMP signaling instructs synaptic myonuclear output that then positively shapes the NMJ synapse. This study deepens our understanding of how myonuclear heterogeneity supports local signaling demands to fine tune cellular function and NMJ activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Victoria E. von Saucken
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065 USA
- Weill Cornell-Rockefeller-Sloan Kettering Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, New York, NY 10065 USA
- Biochemistry, Cell & Developmental Biology, and Molecular Biology (BCMB) Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Stefanie E. Windner
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Mary K. Baylies
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065 USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Smith IR, Hendricks EL, Latcheva NK, Marenda DR, Liebl FLW. The CHD Protein Kismet Restricts the Synaptic Localization of Cell Adhesion Molecules at the Drosophila Neuromuscular Junction. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3074. [PMID: 38474321 PMCID: PMC10931923 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25053074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The appropriate expression and localization of cell surface cell adhesion molecules must be tightly regulated for optimal synaptic growth and function. How neuronal plasma membrane proteins, including cell adhesion molecules, cycle between early endosomes and the plasma membrane is poorly understood. Here we show that the Drosophila homolog of the chromatin remodeling enzymes CHD7 and CHD8, Kismet, represses the synaptic levels of several cell adhesion molecules. Neuroligins 1 and 3 and the integrins αPS2 and βPS are increased at kismet mutant synapses but Kismet only directly regulates transcription of neuroligin 2. Kismet may therefore regulate synaptic CAMs indirectly by activating transcription of gene products that promote intracellular vesicle trafficking including endophilin B (endoB) and/or rab11. Knock down of EndoB in all tissues or neurons increases synaptic FasII while knock down of EndoB in kis mutants does not produce an additive increase in FasII. In contrast, neuronal expression of Rab11, which is deficient in kis mutants, leads to a further increase in synaptic FasII in kis mutants. These data support the hypothesis that Kis influences the synaptic localization of FasII by promoting intracellular vesicle trafficking through the early endosome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ireland R. Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL 62025, USA
| | - Emily L. Hendricks
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL 62025, USA
| | - Nina K. Latcheva
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA (D.R.M.)
- Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Genetics, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Neurogenetics Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Daniel R. Marenda
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA (D.R.M.)
- Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Genetics, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Division of Biological Infrastructure, National Science Foundation, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA
| | - Faith L. W. Liebl
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL 62025, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Gao Z, Huang E, Wang W, Xu L, Xu W, Zheng T, Rui M. Patronin regulates presynaptic microtubule organization and neuromuscular junction development in Drosophila. iScience 2024; 27:108944. [PMID: 38318379 PMCID: PMC10839449 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.108944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Synapses are fundamental components of the animal nervous system. Synaptic cytoskeleton is essential for maintaining proper neuronal development and wiring. Perturbations in neuronal microtubules (MTs) are correlated with numerous neuropsychiatric disorders. Despite discovering multiple synaptic MT regulators, the importance of MT stability, and particularly the polarity of MT in synaptic function, is still under investigation. Here, we identify Patronin, an MT minus-end-binding protein, for its essential role in presynaptic regulation of MT organization and neuromuscular junction (NMJ) development. Analyses indicate that Patronin regulates synaptic development independent of Klp10A. Subsequent research elucidates that it is short stop (Shot), a member of the Spectraplakin family of large cytoskeletal linker molecules, works synergistically with Patronin to govern NMJ development. We further raise the possibility that normal synaptic MT polarity contributes to proper NMJ morphology. Overall, this study demonstrates an unprecedented role of Patronin, and a potential involvement of MT polarity in synaptic development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ziyang Gao
- School of Life Science and Technology, the Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Erqian Huang
- School of Life Science and Technology, the Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Wanting Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, the Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Lizhong Xu
- School of Life Science and Technology, the Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Wanyue Xu
- School of Life Science and Technology, the Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Ting Zheng
- School of Life Science and Technology, the Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Menglong Rui
- School of Life Science and Technology, the Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Paul MS, Michener SL, Pan H, Chan H, Pfliger JM, Rosenfeld JA, Lerma VC, Tran A, Longley MA, Lewis RA, Weisz-Hubshman M, Bekheirnia MR, Bekheirnia N, Massingham L, Zech M, Wagner M, Engels H, Cremer K, Mangold E, Peters S, Trautmann J, Mester JL, Guillen Sacoto MJ, Person R, McDonnell PP, Cohen SR, Lusk L, Cohen ASA, Le Pichon JB, Pastinen T, Zhou D, Engleman K, Racine C, Faivre L, Moutton S, Denommé-Pichon AS, Koh HY, Poduri A, Bolton J, Knopp C, Julia Suh DS, Maier A, Toosi MB, Karimiani EG, Maroofian R, Schaefer GB, Ramakumaran V, Vasudevan P, Prasad C, Osmond M, Schuhmann S, Vasileiou G, Russ-Hall S, Scheffer IE, Carvill GL, Mefford H, Bacino CA, Lee BH, Chao HT. A syndromic neurodevelopmental disorder caused by rare variants in PPFIA3. Am J Hum Genet 2024; 111:96-118. [PMID: 38181735 PMCID: PMC10806447 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2023.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
PPFIA3 encodes the protein-tyrosine phosphatase, receptor-type, F-polypeptide-interacting-protein-alpha-3 (PPFIA3), which is a member of the LAR-protein-tyrosine phosphatase-interacting-protein (liprin) family involved in synapse formation and function, synaptic vesicle transport, and presynaptic active zone assembly. The protein structure and function are evolutionarily well conserved, but human diseases related to PPFIA3 dysfunction are not yet reported in OMIM. Here, we report 20 individuals with rare PPFIA3 variants (19 heterozygous and 1 compound heterozygous) presenting with developmental delay, intellectual disability, hypotonia, dysmorphisms, microcephaly or macrocephaly, autistic features, and epilepsy with reduced penetrance. Seventeen unique PPFIA3 variants were detected in 18 families. To determine the pathogenicity of PPFIA3 variants in vivo, we generated transgenic fruit flies producing either human wild-type (WT) PPFIA3 or five missense variants using GAL4-UAS targeted gene expression systems. In the fly overexpression assays, we found that the PPFIA3 variants in the region encoding the N-terminal coiled-coil domain exhibited stronger phenotypes compared to those affecting the C-terminal region. In the loss-of-function fly assay, we show that the homozygous loss of fly Liprin-α leads to embryonic lethality. This lethality is partially rescued by the expression of human PPFIA3 WT, suggesting human PPFIA3 function is partially conserved in the fly. However, two of the tested variants failed to rescue the lethality at the larval stage and one variant failed to rescue lethality at the adult stage. Altogether, the human and fruit fly data reveal that the rare PPFIA3 variants are dominant-negative loss-of-function alleles that perturb multiple developmental processes and synapse formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maimuna S Paul
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA; Cain Pediatric Neurology Research Foundation Laboratories, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sydney L Michener
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA; Cain Pediatric Neurology Research Foundation Laboratories, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hongling Pan
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hiuling Chan
- Cain Pediatric Neurology Research Foundation Laboratories, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA; Augustana College, Rock Island, IL, USA; Summer Undergraduate Research Training (SMART) Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jessica M Pfliger
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA; Graduate Program in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jill A Rosenfeld
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Vanesa C Lerma
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Alyssa Tran
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Megan A Longley
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Richard A Lewis
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Monika Weisz-Hubshman
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mir Reza Bekheirnia
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Renal Genetics Clinic, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Nasim Bekheirnia
- Renal Genetics Clinic, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lauren Massingham
- Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children's Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Michael Zech
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany; Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University, Munich, Germany; Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Matias Wagner
- Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany; Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University, Munich, Germany; Division of Pediatric Neurology, Developmental Neurology and Social Pediatrics, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Munich, Germany
| | - Hartmut Engels
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Kirsten Cremer
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Developmental Neurology and Social Pediatrics, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Munich, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Mangold
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Developmental Neurology and Social Pediatrics, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Munich, Germany
| | - Sophia Peters
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Developmental Neurology and Social Pediatrics, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Munich, Germany
| | - Jessica Trautmann
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Developmental Neurology and Social Pediatrics, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Munich, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Pamela P McDonnell
- Epilepsy NeuroGenetics Initiative (ENGIN), Division of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Stacey R Cohen
- Epilepsy NeuroGenetics Initiative (ENGIN), Division of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Laina Lusk
- Epilepsy NeuroGenetics Initiative (ENGIN), Division of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ana S A Cohen
- Children's Mercy Kansas City, Genomic Medicine Center, The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | | | - Tomi Pastinen
- Children's Mercy Kansas City, Genomic Medicine Center, The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA; Children's Mercy Research Institute, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Dihong Zhou
- Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | | | - Caroline Racine
- University Hospital, Dijon, France; INSERM UMR1231 GAD "Génétique des Anomalies Du Développement," FHU-TRANSLAD, University of Burgundy, Dijon, France; Functional Unit for Diagnostic Innovation in Rare Diseases, FHU-TRANSLAD, Dijon Bourgogne, France
| | - Laurence Faivre
- Functional Unit for Diagnostic Innovation in Rare Diseases, FHU-TRANSLAD, Dijon Bourgogne, France; Department of Genetics and Reference Center for Development Disorders and Intellectual Disabilities, FHU-TRANSLAD and GIMI Institute, Dijon Bourgogne University Hospital, Dijon, France
| | - Sébastien Moutton
- Functional Unit for Diagnostic Innovation in Rare Diseases, FHU-TRANSLAD, Dijon Bourgogne, France; Department of Genetics and Reference Center for Development Disorders and Intellectual Disabilities, FHU-TRANSLAD and GIMI Institute, Dijon Bourgogne University Hospital, Dijon, France
| | - Anne-Sophie Denommé-Pichon
- University Hospital, Dijon, France; INSERM UMR1231 GAD "Génétique des Anomalies Du Développement," FHU-TRANSLAD, University of Burgundy, Dijon, France; Functional Unit for Diagnostic Innovation in Rare Diseases, FHU-TRANSLAD, Dijon Bourgogne, France
| | - Hyun Yong Koh
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Annapurna Poduri
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey Bolton
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cordula Knopp
- Institute for Human Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Medical Faculty, RWTH, Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Dong Sun Julia Suh
- Institute for Human Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Medical Faculty, RWTH, Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Andrea Maier
- Medical Treatment Center for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities and/or Severe Multiple Disabilities (MZEB), RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
| | - Mehran Beiraghi Toosi
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Neuroscience Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Ehsan Ghayoor Karimiani
- Department of Medical Genetics, Next Generation Genetic Polyclinic, Mashhad, Iran; Molecular and Clinical Sciences Institute, St. George's, University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London, UK
| | - Reza Maroofian
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | | | | | - Pradeep Vasudevan
- LNR Genomics Medicine, University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Chitra Prasad
- London Health Sciences Centre, and Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Matthew Osmond
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Sarah Schuhmann
- Institute of Human Genetics, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Georgia Vasileiou
- Institute of Human Genetics, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sophie Russ-Hall
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Austin Health, VIC, Australia
| | - Ingrid E Scheffer
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Austin Health, VIC, Australia; Department of Pediatrics, University of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital, Florey and Murdoch Children's Research Institutes, VIC, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Gemma L Carvill
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Heather Mefford
- Center for Pediatric Neurological Disease Research, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Carlos A Bacino
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Brendan H Lee
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hsiao-Tuan Chao
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA; Cain Pediatric Neurology Research Foundation Laboratories, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; McNair Medical Institute, The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation, Houston, TX, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Sun Y, Zhao Y, Johnson TK, Xie W. Immunohistochemical Analysis of the Drosophila Larval Neuromuscular Junction. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2746:201-211. [PMID: 38070091 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3585-8_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Synapses are specialized junctions between cells that mediate neurotransmission to modify brain activity and body function. Studies on synapse structure and function play an important role in understanding how neurons communicate and the consequences of their dysfunction in neurological disorders. The Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction is an excellent model for dissecting the cellular and molecular mechanisms of the synapse, with its large size, accessibility, and well-characterized genetics. This protocol describes the steps required for morphological and immunohistochemical analysis of the Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction including its dissection and multiplex labeling of synaptic proteins. This technique can be used to assess the impact of genetic manipulations on synaptic development, integrity, and plasticity, thus providing a valuable tool for probing complex neurological processes in a whole animal system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yichen Sun
- School of Life Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
| | - Yu Zhao
- School of Life Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Travis K Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, and La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Wei Xie
- School of Life Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Yamaguchi M, Huynh MA, Chiyonobu T, Yoshida H. Knockdown of Chronophage in the nervous system mimics features of neurodevelopmental disorders caused by BCL11A/B variants. Exp Cell Res 2023; 433:113827. [PMID: 37926342 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2023.113827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) are a group of disorders that include intellectual disability. Although several genes have been implicated in NDD, the molecular mechanisms underlying its pathogenesis remain unclear. Therefore, it is important to develop novel models to analyze the functions of NDD-causing genes in vivo. Recently, rare pathogenic variants of the B-cell lymphoma/leukemia11A/B (BCL11A/B) gene have been identified in several patients with NDD. Drosophila carries the Chronophage (Cph) gene, which has been predicted to be a homolog of BCL11A/B based on the conservation of the amino acid sequence. In the present study, we investigated whether nervous system-specific knockdown of Cph mimics NDD phenotypes in Drosophila. Nervous system-specific knockdown of Cph induced learning and locomotor defects in larvae and epilepsy-like behaviors in adults. The number of synaptic branches was also elevated in the larval neuromuscular junction without a corresponding increase in the number of boutons. Furthermore, the expression levels of putative target genes that are Drosophila homologs of the mammalian BCL11 target genes were decreased in Cph knockdown flies. These results suggest that Cph knockdown flies are a promising model for investigating the pathology of NDD-induced BCL11A/B dysfunction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mizuki Yamaguchi
- Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan.
| | - Man Anh Huynh
- Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Chiyonobu
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Kawaramachi-hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan
| | - Hideki Yoshida
- Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan; Advanced Insect Research Promotion Center, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Soustelle L, Aimond F, López-Andrés C, Brugioti V, Raoul C, Layalle S. ALS-Associated KIF5A Mutation Causes Locomotor Deficits Associated with Cytoplasmic Inclusions, Alterations of Neuromuscular Junctions, and Motor Neuron Loss. J Neurosci 2023; 43:8058-8072. [PMID: 37748861 PMCID: PMC10669773 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0562-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons. Recently, genome-wide association studies identified KIF5A as a new ALS-causing gene. KIF5A encodes a protein of the kinesin-1 family, allowing the anterograde transport of cargos along the microtubule rails in neurons. In ALS patients, mutations in the KIF5A gene induce exon 27 skipping, resulting in a mutated protein with a new C-terminal region (KIF5A Δ27). To understand how KIF5A Δ27 underpins the disease, we developed an ALS-associated KIF5A Drosophila model. When selectively expressed in motor neurons, KIF5A Δ27 alters larval locomotion as well as morphology and synaptic transmission at neuromuscular junctions in both males and females. We show that the distribution of mitochondria and synaptic vesicles is profoundly disturbed by KIF5A Δ27 expression. That is consistent with the numerous KIF5A Δ27-containing inclusions observed in motor neuron soma and axons. Moreover, KIF5A Δ27 expression leads to motor neuron death and reduces life expectancy. Our in vivo model reveals that a toxic gain of function underlies the pathogenicity of ALS-linked KIF5A mutant.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Understanding how a mutation identified in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) causes the disease and the loss of motor neurons is crucial to fight against this disease. To this end, we have created a Drosophila model based on the motor neuron expression of the KIF5A mutant gene, recently identified in ALS patients. KIF5A encodes a kinesin that allows the anterograde transport of cargos. This model recapitulates the main features of ALS, including alterations of locomotion, synaptic neurotransmission, and morphology at neuromuscular junctions, as well as motor neuron death. KIF5A mutant is found in cytoplasmic inclusions, and its pathogenicity is because of a toxic gain of function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Soustelle
- Institute for Neurosciences Montpellier, Université Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Montpellier, 34091, France
| | - Franck Aimond
- Institute for Neurosciences Montpellier, Université Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Montpellier, 34091, France
| | - Cristina López-Andrés
- Institute for Neurosciences Montpellier, Université Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Montpellier, 34091, France
| | - Véronique Brugioti
- Institute for Neurosciences Montpellier, Université Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Montpellier, 34091, France
| | - Cédric Raoul
- Institute for Neurosciences Montpellier, Université Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Montpellier, 34091, France
| | - Sophie Layalle
- Institute for Neurosciences Montpellier, Université Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Montpellier, 34091, France
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
DePew AT, Bruckner JJ, O’Connor-Giles KM, Mosca TJ. Neuronal LRP4 directs the development, maturation, and cytoskeletal organization of peripheral synapses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.03.564481. [PMID: 37961323 PMCID: PMC10635100 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.03.564481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Synapse development requires multiple signaling pathways to accomplish the myriad of steps needed to ensure a successful connection. Transmembrane receptors on the cell surface are optimally positioned to facilitate communication between the synapse and the rest of the neuron and often function as synaptic organizers to synchronize downstream signaling events. One such organizer, the LDL receptor-related protein LRP4, is a cell surface receptor most well-studied postsynaptically at mammalian neuromuscular junctions. Recent work, however, has identified emerging roles for LRP4 as a presynaptic molecule, but how LRP4 acts as a presynaptic organizer, what roles LRP4 plays in organizing presynaptic biology, and the downstream mechanisms of LRP4 are not well understood. Here we show that LRP4 functions presynaptically at Drosophila neuromuscular synapses, acting in motor neurons to instruct multiple aspects of pre- and postsynaptic development. Loss of presynaptic LRP4 results in a range of developmental defects, impairing active zone organization, synapse growth, physiological function, microtubule organization, synaptic ultrastructure, and synapse maturation. We further demonstrate that LRP4 promotes most aspects of presynaptic development via a downstream SR-protein kinase, SRPK79D. SRPK79D overexpression suppresses synaptic defects associated with loss of lrp4. These data demonstrate a function for LRP4 as a peripheral synaptic organizer acting presynaptically, highlight a downstream mechanism conserved with its CNS function, and indicate previously unappreciated roles for LRP4 in cytoskeletal organization, synapse maturation, and active zone organization, underscoring its developmental importance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alison T. DePew
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107 USA
| | - Joseph J. Bruckner
- Cell and Molecular Biology Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706 USA
| | - Kate M. O’Connor-Giles
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912 USA
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Timothy J. Mosca
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107 USA
- Lead Contact
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Aimino MA, Humenik J, Parisi MJ, Duhart JC, Mosca TJ. SynLight: a bicistronic strategy for simultaneous active zone and cell labeling in the Drosophila nervous system. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2023; 13:jkad221. [PMID: 37757863 PMCID: PMC10627267 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
At synapses, chemical neurotransmission mediates the exchange of information between neurons, leading to complex movement, behaviors, and stimulus processing. The immense number and variety of neurons within the nervous system make discerning individual neuron populations difficult, necessitating the development of advanced neuronal labeling techniques. In Drosophila, Bruchpilot-Short and mCD8-GFP, which label presynaptic active zones and neuronal membranes, respectively, have been widely used to study synapse development and organization. This labeling is often achieved via the expression of 2 independent constructs by a single binary expression system, but expression can weaken when multiple transgenes are expressed by a single driver. Recent work has sought to circumvent these drawbacks by developing methods that encode multiple proteins from a single transcript. Self-cleaving peptides, specifically 2A peptides, have emerged as effective sequences for accomplishing this task. We leveraged 2A ribosomal skipping peptides to engineer a construct that produces both Bruchpilot-Short-mStraw and mCD8-GFP from the same mRNA, which we named SynLight. Using SynLight, we visualized the putative synaptic active zones and membranes of multiple classes of olfactory, visual, and motor neurons and observed the correct separation of signal, confirming that both proteins are being generated separately. Furthermore, we demonstrate proof of principle by quantifying synaptic puncta number and neurite volume in olfactory neurons and finding no difference between the synapse densities of neurons expressing SynLight or neurons expressing both transgenes separately. At the neuromuscular junction, we determined that the synaptic puncta number labeled by SynLight was comparable to the endogenous puncta labeled by antibody staining. Overall, SynLight is a versatile tool for examining synapse density in any nervous system region of interest and allows new questions to be answered about synaptic development and organization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Aimino
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Bluemle Life Sciences Building, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Jesse Humenik
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Bluemle Life Sciences Building, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Michael J Parisi
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Bluemle Life Sciences Building, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Juan Carlos Duhart
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Bluemle Life Sciences Building, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Timothy J Mosca
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Bluemle Life Sciences Building, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Eberwein AE, Kulkarni SS, Rushton E, Broadie K. Glycosphingolipids are linked to elevated neurotransmission and neurodegeneration in a Drosophila model of Niemann Pick type C. Dis Model Mech 2023; 16:dmm050206. [PMID: 37815467 PMCID: PMC10581387 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.050206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The lipid storage disease Niemann Pick type C (NPC) causes neurodegeneration owing primarily to loss of NPC1. Here, we employed a Drosophila model to test links between glycosphingolipids, neurotransmission and neurodegeneration. We found that Npc1a nulls had elevated neurotransmission at the glutamatergic neuromuscular junction (NMJ), which was phenocopied in brainiac (brn) mutants, impairing mannosyl glucosylceramide (MacCer) glycosylation. Npc1a; brn double mutants had the same elevated synaptic transmission, suggesting that Npc1a and brn function within the same pathway. Glucosylceramide (GlcCer) synthase inhibition with miglustat prevented elevated neurotransmission in Npc1a and brn mutants, further suggesting epistasis. Synaptic MacCer did not accumulate in the NPC model, but GlcCer levels were increased, suggesting that GlcCer is responsible for the elevated synaptic transmission. Null Npc1a mutants had heightened neurodegeneration, but no significant motor neuron or glial cell death, indicating that dying cells are interneurons and that elevated neurotransmission precedes neurodegeneration. Glycosphingolipid synthesis mutants also had greatly heightened neurodegeneration, with similar neurodegeneration in Npc1a; brn double mutants, again suggesting that Npc1a and brn function in the same pathway. These findings indicate causal links between glycosphingolipid-dependent neurotransmission and neurodegeneration in this NPC disease model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna E. Eberwein
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Swarat S. Kulkarni
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Emma Rushton
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Kendal Broadie
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Du S, Zeng S, Song L, Ma H, Chen R, Luo J, Wang X, Ma T, Xu X, Sun H, Yi P, Guo J, Huang Y, Liu M, Wang T, Liao WP, Zhang L, Liu JY, Tang B. Functional characterization of novel NPRL3 mutations identified in three families with focal epilepsy. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2023; 66:2152-2166. [PMID: 37071290 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-022-2313-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
Focal epilepsy accounts for 60% of all forms of epilepsy, but the pathogenic mechanism is not well understood. In this study, three novel mutations in NPRL3 (nitrogen permease regulator-like 3), c.937_945del, c.1514dupC and 6,706-bp genomic DNA (gDNA) deletion, were identified in three families with focal epilepsy by linkage analysis, whole exome sequencing (WES) and Sanger sequencing. NPRL3 protein is a component of the GATOR1 complex, a major inhibitor of mTOR signaling. These mutations led to truncation of the NPRL3 protein and hampered the binding between NPRL3 and DEPDC5, which is another component of the GATOR1 complex. Consequently, the mutant proteins enhanced mTOR signaling in cultured cells, possibly due to impaired inhibition of mTORC1 by GATOR1. Knockdown of nprl3 in Drosophila resulted in epilepsy-like behavior and abnormal synaptic development. Taken together, these findings expand the genotypic spectrum of NPRL3-associated focal epilepsy and provide further insight into how NPRL3 mutations lead to epilepsy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shiyue Du
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Sheng Zeng
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
- Department of Geriatrics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China
| | - Li Song
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Hongying Ma
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Rui Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Junyu Luo
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Xu Wang
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Tingbin Ma
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Xuan Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Hao Sun
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, 430074, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Ping Yi
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Jifeng Guo
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Yaling Huang
- Department of Neurology, Union Hospital of HUST, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Mugen Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Neurology, Union Hospital of HUST, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Wei-Ping Liao
- Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University; Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, China
| | - Luoying Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, 430074, China.
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Oral and Maxillofacial Development and Regeneration, Wuhan, 430022, China.
| | - Jing Yu Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China.
| | - Beisha Tang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Rand MD, Tennessen JM, Mackay TFC, Anholt RRH. Perspectives on the Drosophila melanogaster Model for Advances in Toxicological Science. Curr Protoc 2023; 3:e870. [PMID: 37639638 PMCID: PMC10463236 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
The use of Drosophila melanogaster for studies of toxicology has grown considerably in the last decade. The Drosophila model has long been appreciated as a versatile and powerful model for developmental biology and genetics because of its ease of handling, short life cycle, low cost of maintenance, molecular genetic accessibility, and availability of a wide range of publicly available strains and data resources. These features, together with recent unique developments in genomics and metabolomics, make the fly model especially relevant and timely for the development of new approach methodologies and movements toward precision toxicology. Here, we offer a perspective on how flies can be leveraged to identify risk factors relevant to environmental exposures and human health. First, we review and discuss fundamental toxicologic principles for experimental design with Drosophila. Next, we describe quantitative and systems genetics approaches to resolve the genetic architecture and candidate pathways controlling susceptibility to toxicants. Finally, we summarize the current state and future promise of the emerging field of Drosophila metabolomics for elaborating toxic mechanisms. © 2023 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D. Rand
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | | | - Trudy F. C. Mackay
- Center for Human Genetics and Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, 114 Gregor Mendel Circle, Greenwood, South Carolina 29646, USA
| | - Robert R. H. Anholt
- Center for Human Genetics and Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, 114 Gregor Mendel Circle, Greenwood, South Carolina 29646, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Wang Y, Zhang R, Huang S, Valverde PTT, Lobb-Rabe M, Ashley J, Venkatasubramanian L, Carrillo RA. Glial Draper signaling triggers cross-neuron plasticity in bystander neurons after neuronal cell death in Drosophila. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4452. [PMID: 37488133 PMCID: PMC10366216 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40142-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuronal cell death and subsequent brain dysfunction are hallmarks of aging and neurodegeneration, but how the nearby healthy neurons (bystanders) respond to the death of their neighbors is not fully understood. In the Drosophila larval neuromuscular system, bystander motor neurons can structurally and functionally compensate for the loss of their neighbors by increasing their terminal bouton number and activity. We term this compensation as cross-neuron plasticity, and in this study, we demonstrate that the Drosophila engulfment receptor, Draper, and the associated kinase, Shark, are required for cross-neuron plasticity. Overexpression of the Draper-I isoform boosts cross-neuron plasticity, implying that the strength of plasticity correlates with Draper signaling. In addition, we find that functional cross-neuron plasticity can be induced at different developmental stages. Our work uncovers a role for Draper signaling in cross-neuron plasticity and provides insights into how healthy bystander neurons respond to the loss of their neighboring neurons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yupu Wang
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cellular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, 20147, USA.
| | - Ruiling Zhang
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cellular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Committee on Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Sihao Huang
- Program in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Parisa Tajalli Tehrani Valverde
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cellular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Committee on Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Meike Lobb-Rabe
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cellular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - James Ashley
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cellular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | | | - Robert A Carrillo
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cellular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
- Committee on Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
- Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Pérez-Moreno JJ, Smith RC, Oliva MK, Gallo F, Ojha S, Müller KH, O’Kane CJ. Drosophila SPG12 ortholog, reticulon-like 1, governs presynaptic ER organization and Ca2+ dynamics. J Cell Biol 2023; 222:e202112101. [PMID: 36952540 PMCID: PMC10072275 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202112101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 01/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuronal endoplasmic reticulum (ER) appears continuous throughout the cell. Its shape and continuity are influenced by ER-shaping proteins, mutations in which can cause distal axon degeneration in Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP). We therefore asked how loss of Rtnl1, a Drosophila ortholog of the human HSP gene RTN2 (SPG12), which encodes an ER-shaping protein, affects ER organization and the function of presynaptic terminals. Loss of Rtnl1 depleted ER membrane markers at Drosophila presynaptic motor terminals and appeared to deplete narrow tubular ER while leaving cisternae largely unaffected, thus suggesting little change in resting Ca2+ storage capacity. Nevertheless, these changes were accompanied by major reductions in activity-evoked Ca2+ fluxes in the cytosol, ER lumen, and mitochondria, as well as reduced evoked and spontaneous neurotransmission. We found that reduced STIM-mediated ER-plasma membrane contacts underlie presynaptic Ca2+ defects in Rtnl1 mutants. Our results show the importance of ER architecture in presynaptic physiology and function, which are therefore potential factors in the pathology of HSP.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Megan K. Oliva
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Filomena Gallo
- Development and Neuroscience, Cambridge Advanced Imaging Centre, Cambridge, UK
| | - Shainy Ojha
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Karin H. Müller
- Development and Neuroscience, Cambridge Advanced Imaging Centre, Cambridge, UK
| | - Cahir J. O’Kane
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Paul MS, Michener SL, Pan H, Pfliger JM, Rosenfeld JA, Lerma VC, Tran A, Longley MA, Lewis RA, Weisz-Hubshman M, Bekheirnia MR, Bekheirnia N, Massingham L, Zech M, Wagner M, Engels H, Cremer K, Mangold E, Peters S, Trautmann J, Mester JL, Guillen Sacoto MJ, Person R, McDonnell PP, Cohen SR, Lusk L, Cohen ASA, Pichon JBL, Pastinen T, Zhou D, Engleman K, Racine C, Faivre L, Moutton S, Pichon ASD, Schuhmann S, Vasileiou G, Russ-Hall S, Scheffer IE, Carvill GL, Mefford H, Network UD, Bacino CA, Lee BH, Chao HT. Rare variants in PPFIA3 cause delayed development, intellectual disability, autism, and epilepsy. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.03.27.23287689. [PMID: 37034625 PMCID: PMC10081396 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.27.23287689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
PPFIA3 encodes the Protein-Tyrosine Phosphatase, Receptor-Type, F Polypeptide-Interacting Protein Alpha-3 (PPFIA3), which is a member of the LAR protein-tyrosine phosphatase-interacting protein (liprin) family involved in synaptic vesicle transport and presynaptic active zone assembly. The protein structure and function are well conserved in both invertebrates and vertebrates, but human diseases related to PPFIA3 dysfunction are not yet known. Here, we report 14 individuals with rare mono-allelic PPFIA3 variants presenting with features including developmental delay, intellectual disability, hypotonia, autism, and epilepsy. To determine the pathogenicity of PPFIA3 variants in vivo , we generated transgenic fruit flies expressing either human PPFIA3 wildtype (WT) or variant protein using GAL4-UAS targeted gene expression systems. Ubiquitous expression with Actin-GAL4 showed that the PPFIA3 variants had variable penetrance of pupal lethality, eclosion defects, and anatomical leg defects. Neuronal expression with elav-GAL4 showed that the PPFIA3 variants had seizure-like behaviors, motor defects, and bouton loss at the 3 rd instar larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Altogether, in the fly overexpression assays, we found that the PPFIA3 variants in the N-terminal coiled coil domain exhibited stronger phenotypes compared to those in the C-terminal region. In the loss-of-function fly assay, we show that the homozygous loss of fly Liprin- α leads to embryonic lethality. This lethality is partially rescued by the expression of human PPFIA3 WT, suggesting human PPFIA3 protein function is partially conserved in the fly. However, the PPFIA3 variants failed to rescue lethality. Altogether, the human and fruit fly data reveal that the rare PPFIA3 variants are dominant negative loss-of-function alleles that perturb multiple developmental processes and synapse formation.
Collapse
|
20
|
Truman JW, Riddiford LM. Drosophila postembryonic nervous system development: a model for the endocrine control of development. Genetics 2023; 223:iyac184. [PMID: 36645270 PMCID: PMC9991519 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
During postembryonic life, hormones, including ecdysteroids, juvenile hormones, insulin-like peptides, and activin/TGFβ ligands act to transform the larval nervous system into an adult version, which is a fine-grained mosaic of recycled larval neurons and adult-specific neurons. Hormones provide both instructional signals that make cells competent to undergo developmental change and timing cues to evoke these changes across the nervous system. While touching on all the above hormones, our emphasis is on the ecdysteroids, ecdysone and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). These are the prime movers of insect molting and metamorphosis and are involved in all phases of nervous system development, including neurogenesis, pruning, arbor outgrowth, and cell death. Ecdysteroids appear as a series of steroid peaks that coordinate the larval molts and the different phases of metamorphosis. Each peak directs a stereotyped cascade of transcription factor expression. The cascade components then direct temporal programs of effector gene expression, but the latter vary markedly according to tissue and life stage. The neurons read the ecdysteroid titer through various isoforms of the ecdysone receptor, a nuclear hormone receptor. For example, at metamorphosis the pruning of larval neurons is mediated through the B isoforms, which have strong activation functions, whereas subsequent outgrowth is mediated through the A isoform through which ecdysteroids play a permissive role to allow local tissue interactions to direct outgrowth. The major circulating ecdysteroid can also change through development. During adult development ecdysone promotes early adult patterning and differentiation while its metabolite, 20E, later evokes terminal adult differentiation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James W Truman
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Box 351800, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Lynn M Riddiford
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Box 351800, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Xu W, Kong W, Gao Z, Huang E, Xie W, Wang S, Rui M. Establishment of a novel axon pruning model of Drosophila motor neuron. Biol Open 2023; 12:286282. [PMID: 36606515 PMCID: PMC9838636 DOI: 10.1242/bio.059535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Developmental neuronal pruning is a process by which neurons selectively remove excessive or unnecessary neurite without causing neuronal death. Importantly, this process is widely used for the refinement of neural circuits in both vertebrates and invertebrates, and may also contribute to the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia. In the peripheral nervous system (PNS), class IV dendritic arborization (da) sensory neurons of Drosophila, selectively remove the dendrites without losing their somas and axons, while the dendrites and axons of mushroom body (MB) γ neuron in the central nervous system (CNS) are eliminated by localized fragmentation during metamorphosis. Alternatively, dendrite pruning of ddaC neurons is usually investigated via live-cell imaging, while dissection and fixation are currently used for evaluating MB γ neuron axon pruning. Thus, an excellent model system to assess axon specific pruning directly via live-cell imaging remains elusive. Here, we report that the Drosophila motor neuron offers a unique advantage for studying axon pruning. Interestingly, we uncover that long-range projecting axon bundle from soma at ventral nerve cord (VNC), undergoes degeneration rather than retraction during metamorphosis. Strikingly, the pruning process of the motor axon bundle is straightforward to investigate via live imaging and it occurs approximately at 22 h after pupal formation (APF), when axon bundles are completely cleared. Consistently, the classical axon pruning regulators in the Drosophila MB γ neuron, including TGF-β signaling, ecdysone signaling, JNK signaling, and the ubiquitin-proteasome system are also involved in governing motor axon pruning. Finally, our findings establish an unprecedented axon pruning mode that will serve to systematically screen and identify undiscovered axon pruning regulators. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wanyue Xu
- School of Life Science and Technology, the Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou Road, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Weiyu Kong
- School of Life Science and Technology, the Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou Road, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Ziyang Gao
- School of Life Science and Technology, the Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou Road, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Erqian Huang
- School of Life Science and Technology, the Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou Road, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Wei Xie
- School of Life Science and Technology, the Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou Road, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Su Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, the Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou Road, Nanjing 210096, China,Authors for correspondence (; )
| | - Menglong Rui
- School of Life Science and Technology, the Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Disease, Southeast University, 2 Sipailou Road, Nanjing 210096, China,Authors for correspondence (; )
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Armstrong NS, Frank CA. The calcineurin regulator Sarah enables distinct forms of homeostatic plasticity at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2023; 14:1033743. [PMID: 36685082 PMCID: PMC9846150 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2022.1033743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The ability of synapses to maintain physiological levels of evoked neurotransmission is essential for neuronal stability. A variety of perturbations can disrupt neurotransmission, but synapses often compensate for disruptions and work to stabilize activity levels, using forms of homeostatic synaptic plasticity. Presynaptic homeostatic potentiation (PHP) is one such mechanism. PHP is expressed at the Drosophila melanogaster larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ) synapse, as well as other NMJs. In PHP, presynaptic neurotransmitter release increases to offset the effects of impairing muscle transmitter receptors. Prior Drosophila work has studied PHP using different ways to perturb muscle receptor function-either acutely (using pharmacology) or chronically (using genetics). Some of our prior data suggested that cytoplasmic calcium signaling was important for expression of PHP after genetic impairment of glutamate receptors. Here we followed up on that observation. Methods: We used a combination of transgenic Drosophila RNA interference and overexpression lines, along with NMJ electrophysiology, synapse imaging, and pharmacology to test if regulators of the calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase calcineurin are necessary for the normal expression of PHP. Results: We found that either pre- or postsynaptic dysregulation of a Drosophila gene regulating calcineurin, sarah (sra), blocks PHP. Tissue-specific manipulations showed that either increases or decreases in sra expression are detrimental to PHP. Additionally, pharmacologically and genetically induced forms of expression of PHP are functionally separable depending entirely upon which sra genetic manipulation is used. Surprisingly, dual-tissue pre- and postsynaptic sra knockdown or overexpression can ameliorate PHP blocks revealed in single-tissue experiments. Pharmacological and genetic inhibition of calcineurin corroborated this latter finding. Discussion: Our results suggest tight calcineurin regulation is needed across multiple tissue types to stabilize peripheral synaptic outputs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noah S. Armstrong
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States,Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - C. Andrew Frank
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States,Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States,Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States,*Correspondence: C. Andrew Frank
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Park HG, Kim YD, Cho E, Lu TY, Yao CK, Lee J, Lee S. Vav independently regulates synaptic growth and plasticity through distinct actin-based processes. J Cell Biol 2022; 221:213401. [PMID: 35976098 PMCID: PMC9388202 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202203048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Modulation of presynaptic actin dynamics is fundamental to synaptic growth and functional plasticity; yet the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms remain largely unknown. At Drosophila NMJs, the presynaptic Rac1-SCAR pathway mediates BMP-induced receptor macropinocytosis to inhibit BMP growth signaling. Here, we show that the Rho-type GEF Vav acts upstream of Rac1 to inhibit synaptic growth through macropinocytosis. We also present evidence that Vav-Rac1-SCAR signaling has additional roles in tetanus-induced synaptic plasticity. Presynaptic inactivation of Vav signaling pathway components, but not regulators of macropinocytosis, impairs post-tetanic potentiation (PTP) and enhances synaptic depression depending on external Ca2+ concentration. Interfering with the Vav-Rac1-SCAR pathway also impairs mobilization of reserve pool (RP) vesicles required for tetanus-induced synaptic plasticity. Finally, treatment with an F-actin–stabilizing drug completely restores RP mobilization and plasticity defects in Vav mutants. We propose that actin-regulatory Vav-Rac1-SCAR signaling independently regulates structural and functional presynaptic plasticity by driving macropinocytosis and RP mobilization, respectively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Gwan Park
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Yeongjin David Kim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Eunsang Cho
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Ting-Yi Lu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Kuang Yao
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jihye Lee
- Department of Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Korea
| | - Seungbok Lee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Ghosh AC, Hu Y, Tattikota SG, Liu Y, Comjean A, Perrimon N. Modeling exercise using optogenetically contractible Drosophila larvae. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:623. [PMID: 36042416 PMCID: PMC9425970 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08845-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The pathophysiological effects of a number of metabolic and age-related disorders can be prevented to some extent by exercise and increased physical activity. However, the molecular mechanisms that contribute to the beneficial effects of muscle activity remain poorly explored. Availability of a fast, inexpensive, and genetically tractable model system for muscle activity and exercise will allow the rapid identification and characterization of molecular mechanisms that mediate the beneficial effects of exercise. Here, we report the development and characterization of an optogenetically-inducible muscle contraction (OMC) model in Drosophila larvae that we used to study acute exercise-like physiological responses. To characterize muscle-specific transcriptional responses to acute exercise, we performed bulk mRNA-sequencing, revealing striking similarities between acute exercise-induced genes in flies and those previously identified in humans. Our larval muscle contraction model opens a path for rapid identification and characterization of exercise-induced factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arpan C Ghosh
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Yanhui Hu
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Yifang Liu
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aram Comjean
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Norbert Perrimon
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Hendricks EL, Smith IR, Prates B, Barmaleki F, Liebl FLW. The CD63 homologs, Tsp42Ee and Tsp42Eg, restrict endocytosis and promote neurotransmission through differential regulation of synaptic vesicle pools. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:957232. [PMID: 36072568 PMCID: PMC9441712 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.957232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The Tetraspanin (Tsp), CD63, is a transmembrane component of late endosomes and facilitates vesicular trafficking through endosomal pathways. Despite being widely expressed in the human brain and localized to late endosomes, CD63's role in regulating endo- and exocytic cycling at the synapse has not been investigated. Synaptic vesicle pools are highly dynamic and disruptions in the mobilization and replenishment of these vesicle pools have adverse neuronal effects. We find that the CD63 homologs, Tsp42Ee and Tsp42Eg, are expressed at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction to regulate synaptic vesicle pools through both shared and unique mechanisms. Tsp42Ee and Tsp42Eg negatively regulate endocytosis and positively regulate neurotransmitter release. Both tsp mutants show impaired locomotion, reduced miniature endplate junctional current frequencies, and increased endocytosis. Expression of human CD63 in Drosophila neurons leads to impaired endocytosis suggesting the role of Tsps in endocytosis is conserved. We further show that Tsps influence the synaptic cytoskeleton and membrane composition by regulating Futsch loop formation and synaptic levels of SCAR and PI(4,5)P2. Finally, Tsp42Ee and Tsp42Eg influence the synaptic localization of several vesicle-associated proteins including Synapsin, Synaptotagmin, and Cysteine String Protein. Together, our results present a novel function for Tsps in the regulation of vesicle pools and provide insight into the molecular mechanisms of Tsp-related synaptic dysfunction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Faith L. W. Liebl
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL, United States
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Huynh TKT, Mai TTT, Huynh MA, Yoshida H, Yamaguchi M, Dang TTP. Crucial Roles of Ubiquitin Carboxy-Terminal Hydrolase L1 in Motor Neuronal Health by Drosophila Model. Antioxid Redox Signal 2022; 37:257-273. [PMID: 35343238 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2021.0057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Aims: Ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1) plays an important role in the ubiquitin-proteasome system and is distributed mostly in the brain. Previous studies have shown that mutated forms or reduction of UCH-L1 are related to neurodegenerative disorders, but the mechanisms of pathogenesis are still not well understood. To study its roles in motor neuronal health, we utilized the Drosophila model in which dUCH, a homolog of human UCH-L1, was specifically knocked down in motor neurons. Results: The reduction of Drosophila ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase (dUCH) in motor neurons induced excessive reactive oxygen species production and multiple aging-like phenotypes, including locomotive defects, muscle degeneration, enhanced apoptosis, and shortened longevity. In addition, there is a decrease in the density of the synaptic active zone and glutamate receptor area at the neuromuscular junction. Interestingly, all these defects were rescued by vitamin C treatment, suggesting a close association with oxidative stress. Strikingly, the knockdown of dUCH at motor neurons exhibited aberrant morphology and function of mitochondria, such as mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion, an increase in mitochondrial size, and overexpression of antioxidant enzymes. Innovation: This research indicates a new, possible pathogenesis of dUCH deficiency in the ventral nerve cord and peripheral nervous systems, which starts with abnormal mitochondria, leading to oxidative stress and accumulation aging-like defects in general. Conclusion: Taken together, by using the Drosophila model, our findings strongly emphasize how the UCH-L1 shortage affects motor neurons and further demonstrate the crucial roles of UCH-L1 in neuronal health. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 37, 257-273.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thoa Kim Truong Huynh
- Department of Molecular and Environmental Biotechnology, University of Science, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.,Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Trinh Thi Thu Mai
- Department of Molecular and Environmental Biotechnology, University of Science, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.,Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Man Anh Huynh
- Department of Molecular and Environmental Biotechnology, University of Science, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.,Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Hideki Yoshida
- Department of Applied Biology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto, Japan
| | | | - Thao Thi Phuong Dang
- Department of Molecular and Environmental Biotechnology, University of Science, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.,Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Chakravorty A, Sharma A, Sheeba V, Manjithaya R. Glutamatergic Synapse Dysfunction in Drosophila Neuromuscular Junctions Can Be Rescued by Proteostasis Modulation. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:842772. [PMID: 35909443 PMCID: PMC9337869 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.842772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the nervous system, and the Drosophila glutamatergic neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) offer a tractable platform to understand excitatory synapse biology both in health and disease. Synaptopathies are neurodegenerative diseases that are associated with synaptic dysfunction and often display compromised proteostasis. One such rare, progressive neurodegenerative condition, Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3 (SCA3) or Machado-Joseph Disease (MJD), is characterized by cerebellar ataxia, Parkinsonism, and degeneration of motor neuron synapses. While the polyQ repeat mutant protein ataxin-3 is implicated in MJD, it is unclear how it leads to impaired synaptic function. In this study, we indicated that a Drosophila model of MJD recapitulates characteristics of neurodegenerative disorders marked by motor neuron dysfunction. Expression of 78 polyQ repeats of mutant ataxin-3 protein in Drosophila motor neurons resulted in behavioral defects, such as impaired locomotion in both larval and adult stages. Furthermore, defects in eclosion and lifespan were observed in adult flies. Detailed characterization of larval glutamatergic neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) revealed defects in morphological features along with compromised NMJ functioning. Autophagy, one of the key proteostasis pathways, is known to be impaired in the case of several synaptopathies. Our study reveals that overexpression of the autophagy-related protein Atg8a rescued behavioral defects. Thus, we present a model for glutamatergic synapse dysfunction that recapitulates synaptic and behavioral deficits and show that it is an amenable system for carrying out genetic and chemical biology screens to identify potential therapeutic targets for synaptopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anushka Chakravorty
- Autophagy Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India
| | - Ankit Sharma
- Chronobiology and Behavioural Neurogenetics Laboratory, Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India
| | - Vasu Sheeba
- Chronobiology and Behavioural Neurogenetics Laboratory, Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India
- *Correspondence: Vasu Sheeba
| | - Ravi Manjithaya
- Autophagy Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India
- Neuroscience Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India
- Ravi Manjithaya
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Mahmood T, Ved A, Siddiqui MH, Ahsan F, Shamim A, Ansari VA, Ahmad A, Kashyap MK. An in-Depth Analysis of Ovarian Cancer: Pathogenesis and Clinical Manifestation. Drug Res (Stuttg) 2022; 72:424-434. [PMID: 35760337 DOI: 10.1055/a-1867-4654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is characterized by the establishment of tolerance, the recurrence of disease, as well as a poor prognosis. Gene signatures in ovarian cancer cells enable cancer medicine research, therapy, prevention, & management problematic. Notwithstanding advances in tumor puncture surgery, novel combinations regimens, and abdominal radiation, which can provide outstanding reaction times, the bulk of gynecological tumor patients suffer from side effects & relapse. As a consequence, more therapy alternatives for individuals with ovarian cancer must always be studied to minimize side effects and improve progression-free and total response rates. The development of cancer medications is presently undergoing a renaissance in the quest for descriptive and prognostic ovarian cancer biomarkers. Nevertheless, abnormalities in the BRCA2 or BRCA1 genes, a variety of hereditary predispositions, unexplained onset and progression, molecular tumor diversity, and illness staging can all compromise the responsiveness and accuracy of such indicators. As a result, current ovarian cancer treatments must be supplemented with broad-spectrum & customized targeted therapeutic approaches. The objective of this review is to highlight recent contributions to the knowledge of the interrelations between selected ovarian tumor markers, various perception signs, and biochemical and molecular signaling processes, as well as one's interpretation of much more targeted and effective treatment interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tarique Mahmood
- Department of Pharmacy, Integral University, Dasauli, Lucknow, India
| | - Akash Ved
- Department of Pharmacy, Goel Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lucknow, India
| | | | - Farogh Ahsan
- Department of Pharmacy, Integral University, Dasauli, Lucknow, India
| | - Arshiya Shamim
- Department of Pharmacy, Integral University, Dasauli, Lucknow, India
| | | | - Afroz Ahmad
- Department of Pharmacy, Integral University, Dasauli, Lucknow, India
| | - Monu Kumar Kashyap
- Department of Pharmacy, Goel Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lucknow, India
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Duhart JC, Mosca TJ. Genetic regulation of central synapse formation and organization in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 2022; 221:6597078. [PMID: 35652253 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A goal of modern neuroscience involves understanding how connections in the brain form and function. Such a knowledge is essential to inform how defects in the exquisite complexity of nervous system growth influence neurological disease. Studies of the nervous system in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster enabled the discovery of a wealth of molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying development of synapses-the specialized cell-to-cell connections that comprise the essential substrate for information flow and processing in the nervous system. For years, the major driver of knowledge was the neuromuscular junction due to its ease of examination. Analogous studies in the central nervous system lagged due to a lack of genetic accessibility of specific neuron classes, synaptic labels compatible with cell-type-specific access, and high resolution, quantitative imaging strategies. However, understanding how central synapses form remains a prerequisite to understanding brain development. In the last decade, a host of new tools and techniques extended genetic studies of synapse organization into central circuits to enhance our understanding of synapse formation, organization, and maturation. In this review, we consider the current state-of-the-field. We first discuss the tools, technologies, and strategies developed to visualize and quantify synapses in vivo in genetically identifiable neurons of the Drosophila central nervous system. Second, we explore how these tools enabled a clearer understanding of synaptic development and organization in the fly brain and the underlying molecular mechanisms of synapse formation. These studies establish the fly as a powerful in vivo genetic model that offers novel insights into neural development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos Duhart
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Timothy J Mosca
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Vicidomini R, Serpe M. Local BMP signaling: A sensor for synaptic activity that balances synapse growth and function. Curr Top Dev Biol 2022; 150:211-254. [PMID: 35817503 PMCID: PMC11102767 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2022.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Synapse development is coordinated by intercellular communication between the pre- and postsynaptic compartments, and by neuronal activity itself. In flies as in vertebrates, neuronal activity induces input-specific changes in the synaptic strength so that the entire circuit maintains stable function in the face of many challenges, including changes in synapse number and strength. But how do neurons sense synapse activity? In several studies carried out using the Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ), we demonstrated that local BMP signaling provides an exquisite sensor for synapse activity. Here we review the main features of this exquisite sensor and discuss its functioning beyond monitoring the synapse activity but rather as a key controller that operates in coordination with other BMP signaling pathways to balance synapse growth, maturation and function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rosario Vicidomini
- Neurosciences and Cellular and Structural Biology Division, Eunice Kennedy Shiver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Mihaela Serpe
- Neurosciences and Cellular and Structural Biology Division, Eunice Kennedy Shiver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Wang Y, Lobb-Rabe M, Ashley J, Chatterjee P, Anand V, Bellen HJ, Kanca O, Carrillo RA. Systematic expression profiling of Dpr and DIP genes reveals cell surface codes in Drosophila larval motor and sensory neurons. Development 2022; 149:dev200355. [PMID: 35502740 PMCID: PMC9188756 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
In complex nervous systems, neurons must identify their correct partners to form synaptic connections. The prevailing model to ensure correct recognition posits that cell-surface proteins (CSPs) in individual neurons act as identification tags. Thus, knowing what cells express which CSPs would provide insights into neural development, synaptic connectivity, and nervous system evolution. Here, we investigated expression of Dpr and DIP genes, two CSP subfamilies belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily, in Drosophila larval motor neurons (MNs), muscles, glia and sensory neurons (SNs) using a collection of GAL4 driver lines. We found that Dpr genes are more broadly expressed than DIP genes in MNs and SNs, and each examined neuron expresses a unique combination of Dpr and DIP genes. Interestingly, many Dpr and DIP genes are not robustly expressed, but are found instead in gradient and temporal expression patterns. In addition, the unique expression patterns of Dpr and DIP genes revealed three uncharacterized MNs. This study sets the stage for exploring the functions of Dpr and DIP genes in Drosophila MNs and SNs and provides genetic access to subsets of neurons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yupu Wang
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Cellular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Committee on Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Meike Lobb-Rabe
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Cellular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - James Ashley
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Cellular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Purujit Chatterjee
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Cellular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Veera Anand
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Cellular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Hugo J. Bellen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics and Jan and Dan Duncan Neurobiological Research Institute, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Oguz Kanca
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics and Jan and Dan Duncan Neurobiological Research Institute, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Robert A. Carrillo
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Cellular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Committee on Development, Regeneration, and Stem Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Song C, Leahy SN, Rushton EM, Broadie K. RNA-binding FMRP and Staufen sequentially regulate the Coracle scaffold to control synaptic glutamate receptor and bouton development. Development 2022; 149:274991. [PMID: 35394012 PMCID: PMC9148565 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Both mRNA-binding Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP; Fmr1) and mRNA-binding Staufen regulate synaptic bouton formation and glutamate receptor (GluR) levels at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ) glutamatergic synapse. Here, we tested whether these RNA-binding proteins act jointly in a common mechanism. We found that both dfmr1 and staufen mutants, and trans-heterozygous double mutants, displayed increased synaptic bouton formation and GluRIIA accumulation. With cell-targeted RNA interference, we showed a downstream Staufen role within postsynaptic muscle. With immunoprecipitation, we showed that FMRP binds staufen mRNA to stabilize postsynaptic transcripts. Staufen is known to target actin-binding, GluRIIA anchor Coracle, and we confirmed that Staufen binds to coracle mRNA. We found that FMRP and Staufen act sequentially to co-regulate postsynaptic Coracle expression, and showed that Coracle, in turn, controls GluRIIA levels and synaptic bouton development. Consistently, we found that dfmr1, staufen and coracle mutants elevate neurotransmission strength. We also identified that FMRP, Staufen and Coracle all suppress pMad activation, providing a trans-synaptic signaling linkage between postsynaptic GluRIIA levels and presynaptic bouton development. This work supports an FMRP-Staufen-Coracle-GluRIIA-pMad pathway regulating structural and functional synapse development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chunzhu Song
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Shannon N. Leahy
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Emma M. Rushton
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Kendal Broadie
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA,Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA,Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA,Author for correspondence ()
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Rahul, Siddique YH. Drosophila: A Model to Study the Pathogenesis of Parkinson's Disease. CNS & NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS DRUG TARGETS 2022; 21:259-277. [PMID: 35040399 DOI: 10.2174/1871527320666210809120621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Human Central Nervous System (CNS) is the complex part of the human body, which regulates multiple cellular and molecular events taking place simultaneously. Parkinsons Disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease (AD). The pathological hallmarks of PD are loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantianigra (SN) pars compacta (SNpc) and accumulation of misfolded α-synuclein, in intra-cytoplasmic inclusions called Lewy bodies (LBs). So far, there is no cure for PD, due to the complexities of molecular mechanisms and events taking place during the pathogenesis of PD. Drosophila melanogaster is an appropriate model organism to unravel the pathogenicity not only behind PD but also other NDs. In this context as numerous biological functions are preserved between Drosophila and humans. Apart from sharing 75% of human disease-causing genes homolog in Drosophila, behavioral responses like memory-based tests, negative geotaxis, courtship and mating are also well studied. The genetic, as well as environmental factors, can be studied in Drosophila to understand the geneenvironment interactions behind the disease condition. Through genetic manipulation, mutant flies can be generated harboring human orthologs, which can prove to be an excellent model to understand the effect of the mutant protein on the pathogenicity of NDs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rahul
- Drosophila Transgenic Laboratory, Section of Genetics, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, Uttar Pradesh,India
| | - Yasir Hasan Siddique
- Drosophila Transgenic Laboratory, Section of Genetics, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, Uttar Pradesh,India
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Saunders HAJ, Johnson-Schlitz DM, Jenkins BV, Volkert PJ, Yang SZ, Wildonger J. Acetylated α-tubulin K394 regulates microtubule stability to shape the growth of axon terminals. Curr Biol 2022; 32:614-630.e5. [PMID: 35081332 PMCID: PMC8843987 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Microtubules are essential to neuron shape and function. Acetylation of tubulin has the potential to directly tune the behavior and function of microtubules in cells. Although proteomic studies have identified several acetylation sites in α-tubulin, the effects of acetylation at these sites remains largely unknown. This includes the highly conserved residue lysine 394 (K394), which is located at the αβ-tubulin dimer interface. Using a fly model, we show that α-tubulin K394 is acetylated in the nervous system and is an essential residue. We found that an acetylation-blocking mutation in endogenous α-tubulin, K394R, perturbs the synaptic morphogenesis of motoneurons and reduces microtubule stability. Intriguingly, the K394R mutation has opposite effects on the growth of two functionally and morphologically distinct motoneurons, revealing neuron-type-specific responses when microtubule stability is altered. Eliminating the deacetylase HDAC6 increases K394 acetylation, and the over-expression of HDAC6 reduces microtubule stability similar to the K394R mutant. Thus, our findings implicate α-tubulin K394 and its acetylation in the regulation of microtubule stability and suggest that HDAC6 regulates K394 acetylation during synaptic morphogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Harriet A. J. Saunders
- Integrated Program in Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 440 Henry Mall, Madison, WI, 53706, USA,Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 440 Henry Mall, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Dena M. Johnson-Schlitz
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 440 Henry Mall, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Brian V. Jenkins
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 440 Henry Mall, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Peter J. Volkert
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 440 Henry Mall, Madison, WI, 53706, USA,Biochemistry Scholars Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 440 Henry Mall, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Sihui Z. Yang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 440 Henry Mall, Madison, WI, 53706, USA,Cellular & Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1525 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Jill Wildonger
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 440 Henry Mall, Madison, WI, 53706, USA,Current address: Pediatrics Department and Biological Sciences Division, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA,Lead and author for correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Ho CH, Paolantoni C, Bawankar P, Tang Z, Brown S, Roignant J, Treisman JE. An exon junction complex-independent function of Barentsz in neuromuscular synapse growth. EMBO Rep 2022; 23:e53231. [PMID: 34726300 PMCID: PMC8728599 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202153231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The exon junction complex controls the translation, degradation, and localization of spliced mRNAs, and three of its core subunits also play a role in splicing. Here, we show that a fourth subunit, Barentsz, has distinct functions within and separate from the exon junction complex in Drosophila neuromuscular development. The distribution of mitochondria in larval muscles requires Barentsz as well as other exon junction complex subunits and is not rescued by a Barentsz transgene in which residues required for binding to the core subunit eIF4AIII are mutated. In contrast, interactions with the exon junction complex are not required for Barentsz to promote the growth of neuromuscular synapses. We find that the Activin ligand Dawdle shows reduced expression in barentsz mutants and acts downstream of Barentsz to control synapse growth. Both barentsz and dawdle are required in motor neurons, muscles, and glia for normal synapse growth, and exogenous Dawdle can rescue synapse growth in the absence of barentsz. These results identify a biological function for Barentsz that is independent of the exon junction complex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cheuk Hei Ho
- Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine and Department of Cell BiologyNYU School of MedicineNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Chiara Paolantoni
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Génopode Building, Faculty of Biology and MedicineUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Praveen Bawankar
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical SciencesJohannes Gutenberg‐University MainzMainzGermany
| | - Zuojian Tang
- Center for Health Informatics and BioinformaticsNYU Langone Medical CenterNew YorkNYUSA
- Present address:
Computational Biology at Ridgefield US, Global Computational Biology and Digital ScienceBoehringer IngelheimRidgefieldCTUSA
| | - Stuart Brown
- Center for Health Informatics and BioinformaticsNYU Langone Medical CenterNew YorkNYUSA
- Present address:
ExxonMobil Corporate Strategic ResearchAnnandaleNJUSA
| | - Jean‐Yves Roignant
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Génopode Building, Faculty of Biology and MedicineUniversity of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical SciencesJohannes Gutenberg‐University MainzMainzGermany
| | - Jessica E Treisman
- Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine and Department of Cell BiologyNYU School of MedicineNew YorkNYUSA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Han Y, Ding K. Imaging Neuropeptide Release at Drosophila Neuromuscular Junction with a Genetically Engineered Neuropeptide Release Reporter. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2417:193-203. [PMID: 35099801 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1916-2_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Despite the important roles of neuropeptides in a variety of physiological processes, there still lacks a method to probe neuropeptide release events in vivo with satisfying temporal and spatial resolution. Neuropeptide Release Reporter (NPRR) was recently introduced as a novel genetically encoded indicator of neuropeptide release with a high temporal resolution and peptide specificity based on GCaMP molecule. Here we describe a method for using NPRR to image selective neuropeptide release at Drosophila neuromuscular junction in semi-dissected larvae. This method provides a quantitative analysis of activity-dependent neuropeptide release as real-time changes in fluorescence intensity of GCaMP reporter with sub-second temporal resolution and single bouton specificity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yifu Han
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Keke Ding
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Itoh K, Nishihara S. Mucin-Type O-Glycosylation in the Drosophila Nervous System. Front Neuroanat 2021; 15:767126. [PMID: 34733141 PMCID: PMC8558370 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2021.767126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mucin-type O-glycosylation, a predominant type of O-glycosylation, is an evolutionarily conserved posttranslational modification in animals. Mucin-type O-glycans are often found on mucins in the mucous membranes of the digestive tract. These glycan structures are also expressed in other cell types, such as blood cells and nephrocytes, and have crucial physiological functions. Altered expression of mucin-type O-glycans is known to be associated with several human disorders, including Tn syndrome and cancer; however, the physiological roles of mucin-type O-glycans in the mammalian brain remains largely unknown. The functions of mucin-type O-glycans have been studied in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. The basic structures of mucin-type O-glycans, including Tn antigen (GalNAcα1-Ser/Thr) and T antigen (Galβ1–3GalNAcα1-Ser/Thr), as well as the glycosyltransferases that synthesize them, are conserved between Drosophila and mammals. These mucin-type O-glycans are expressed in the Drosophila nervous system, including the central nervous system (CNS) and neuromuscular junctions (NMJs). In primary cultured neurons of Drosophila, mucin-type O-glycans show a characteristic localization pattern in axons. Phenotypic analyses using mutants of glycosyltransferase genes have revealed that mucin-type O-glycans are required for CNS development, NMJ morphogenesis, and synaptic functions of NMJs in Drosophila. In this review, we describe the roles of mucin-type O-glycans in the Drosophila nervous system. These findings will provide insight into the functions of mucin-type O-glycans in the mammalian brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kazuyoshi Itoh
- Glycan & Life Systems Integration Center (GaLSIC), Soka University, Hachioji, Japan
| | - Shoko Nishihara
- Glycan & Life Systems Integration Center (GaLSIC), Soka University, Hachioji, Japan.,Department of Biosciences, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Soka University, Hachioji, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
A Novel Neuron-Specific Regulator of the V-ATPase in Drosophila. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0193-21.2021. [PMID: 34620624 PMCID: PMC8541823 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0193-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The V-ATPase is a highly conserved enzymatic complex that ensures appropriate levels of organelle acidification in virtually all eukaryotic cells. While the general mechanisms of this proton pump have been well studied, little is known about the specific regulations of neuronal V-ATPase. Here, we studied CG31030, a previously uncharacterized Drosophila protein predicted from its sequence homology to be part of the V-ATPase family. In contrast to its ortholog ATP6AP1/VhaAC45 which is ubiquitous, we observed that CG31030 expression is apparently restricted to all neurons, and using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene tagging, that it is mainly addressed to synaptic terminals. In addition, we observed that CG31030 is essential for fly survival and that this protein co-immunoprecipitates with identified V-ATPase subunits, and in particular ATP6AP2. Using a genetically-encoded pH probe (VMAT-pHluorin) and electrophysiological recordings at the larval neuromuscular junction, we show that CG31030 knock-down induces a major defect in synaptic vesicle acidification and a decrease in quantal size, which is the amplitude of the postsynaptic response to the release of a single synaptic vesicle. These defects were associated with severe locomotor impairments. Overall, our data indicate that CG31030, which we renamed VhaAC45-related protein (VhaAC45RP), is a specific regulator of neuronal V-ATPase in Drosophila that is required for proper synaptic vesicle acidification and neurotransmitter release.
Collapse
|
39
|
Giong HK, Subramanian M, Yu K, Lee JS. Non-Rodent Genetic Animal Models for Studying Tauopathy: Review of Drosophila, Zebrafish, and C. elegans Models. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:8465. [PMID: 34445171 PMCID: PMC8395099 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathy refers to a group of progressive neurodegenerative diseases, including frontotemporal lobar degeneration and Alzheimer's disease, which correlate with the malfunction of microtubule-associated protein Tau (MAPT) due to abnormal hyperphosphorylation, leading to the formation of intracellular aggregates in the brain. Despite extensive efforts to understand tauopathy and develop an efficient therapy, our knowledge is still far from complete. To find a solution for this group of devastating diseases, several animal models that mimic diverse disease phenotypes of tauopathy have been developed. Rodents are the dominating tauopathy models because of their similarity to humans and established disease lines, as well as experimental approaches. However, powerful genetic animal models using Drosophila, zebrafish, and C. elegans have also been developed for modeling tauopathy and have contributed to understanding the pathophysiology of tauopathy. The success of these models stems from the short lifespans, versatile genetic tools, real-time in-vivo imaging, low maintenance costs, and the capability for high-throughput screening. In this review, we summarize the main findings on mechanisms of tauopathy and discuss the current tauopathy models of these non-rodent genetic animals, highlighting their key advantages and limitations in tauopathy research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hoi-Khoanh Giong
- Disease Target Structure Research Center, KRIBB, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea; (H.-K.G.); (M.S.)
- KRIBB School, University of Science and Technology, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea
- Dementia DTC R&D Convergence Program, KIST, Hwarang-ro 14 gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02792, Korea
| | - Manivannan Subramanian
- Disease Target Structure Research Center, KRIBB, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea; (H.-K.G.); (M.S.)
- Dementia DTC R&D Convergence Program, KIST, Hwarang-ro 14 gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02792, Korea
| | - Kweon Yu
- Disease Target Structure Research Center, KRIBB, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea; (H.-K.G.); (M.S.)
- KRIBB School, University of Science and Technology, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea
- Dementia DTC R&D Convergence Program, KIST, Hwarang-ro 14 gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02792, Korea
| | - Jeong-Soo Lee
- Disease Target Structure Research Center, KRIBB, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea; (H.-K.G.); (M.S.)
- KRIBB School, University of Science and Technology, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Korea
- Dementia DTC R&D Convergence Program, KIST, Hwarang-ro 14 gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02792, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Gokhale A, Lee CE, Zlatic SA, Freeman AAH, Shearing N, Hartwig C, Ogunbona O, Bassell JL, Wynne ME, Werner E, Xu C, Wen Z, Duong D, Seyfried NT, Bearden CE, Oláh VJ, Rowan MJM, Glausier JR, Lewis DA, Faundez V. Mitochondrial Proteostasis Requires Genes Encoded in a Neurodevelopmental Syndrome Locus. J Neurosci 2021; 41:6596-6616. [PMID: 34261699 PMCID: PMC8336702 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2197-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic cells maintain proteostasis through mechanisms that require cytoplasmic and mitochondrial translation. Genetic defects affecting cytoplasmic translation perturb synapse development, neurotransmission, and are causative of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as Fragile X syndrome. In contrast, there is little indication that mitochondrial proteostasis, either in the form of mitochondrial protein translation and/or degradation, is required for synapse development and function. Here we focus on two genes deleted in a recurrent copy number variation causing neurodevelopmental disorders, the 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome. We demonstrate that SLC25A1 and MRPL40, two genes present in the microdeleted segment and whose products localize to mitochondria, interact and are necessary for mitochondrial ribosomal integrity and proteostasis. Our Drosophila studies show that mitochondrial ribosome function is necessary for synapse neurodevelopment, function, and behavior. We propose that mitochondrial proteostasis perturbations, either by genetic or environmental factors, are a pathogenic mechanism for neurodevelopmental disorders.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The balance between cytoplasmic protein synthesis and degradation, or cytoplasmic proteostasis, is required for normal synapse function and neurodevelopment. Cytoplasmic and mitochondrial ribosomes are necessary for two compartmentalized, yet interdependent, forms of proteostasis. Proteostasis dependent on cytoplasmic ribosomes is a well-established target of genetic defects that cause neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism. Here we show that the mitochondrial ribosome is a neurodevelopmentally regulated organelle whose function is required for synapse development and function. We propose that defective mitochondrial proteostasis is a mechanism with the potential to contribute to neurodevelopmental disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Zhexing Wen
- Departments of Cell Biology
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | - Duc Duong
- and Biochemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | | | - Carrie E Bearden
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior Department of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | | | | | - Jill R Glausier
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
| | - David A Lewis
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
| | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Ramos-Vicente D, Grant SG, Bayés À. Metazoan evolution and diversity of glutamate receptors and their auxiliary subunits. Neuropharmacology 2021; 195:108640. [PMID: 34116111 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in vertebrate and invertebrate nervous systems. Proteins involved in glutamatergic neurotransmission, and chiefly glutamate receptors and their auxiliary subunits, play key roles in nervous system function. Thus, understanding their evolution and uncovering their diversity is essential to comprehend how nervous systems evolved, shaping cognitive function. Comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of these proteins across metazoans have revealed that their evolution is much more complex than what can be anticipated from vertebrate genomes. This is particularly true for ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs), as their current classification into 6 classes (AMPA, Kainate, Delta, NMDA1, NMDA2 and NMDA3) would be largely incomplete. New work proposes a classification of iGluRs into 4 subfamilies that encompass 10 classes. Vertebrate AMPA, Kainate and Delta receptors would belong to one of these subfamilies, named AKDF, the NMDA subunits would constitute another subfamily and non-vertebrate iGluRs would be organised into the previously unreported Epsilon and Lambda subfamilies. Similarly, the animal evolution of metabotropic glutamate receptors has resulted in the formation of four classes of these receptors, instead of the three currently recognised. Here we review our current knowledge on the animal evolution of glutamate receptors and their auxiliary subunits. This article is part of the special issue on 'Glutamate Receptors - Orphan iGluRs'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Ramos-Vicente
- Molecular Physiology of the Synapse Laboratory, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Seth Gn Grant
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, Chancellor's Building, Edinburgh BioQuarter, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK; Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain (SIDB), Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Hugh Robson Building, George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Àlex Bayés
- Molecular Physiology of the Synapse Laboratory, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Bhimreddy M, Rushton E, Kopke DL, Broadie K. Secreted C-type lectin regulation of neuromuscular junction synaptic vesicle dynamics modulates coordinated movement. J Cell Sci 2021; 134:261954. [PMID: 33973638 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.257592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The synaptic cleft manifests enriched glycosylation, with structured glycans coordinating signaling between presynaptic and postsynaptic cells. Glycosylated signaling ligands orchestrating communication are tightly regulated by secreted glycan-binding lectins. Using the Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ) as a model glutamatergic synapse, we identify a new Ca2+-binding (C-type) lectin, Lectin-galC1 (LGC1), which modulates presynaptic function and neurotransmission strength. We find that LGC1 is enriched in motoneuron presynaptic boutons and secreted into the NMJ extracellular synaptomatrix. We show that LGC1 limits locomotor peristalsis and coordinated movement speed, with a specific requirement for synaptic function, but not NMJ architecture. LGC1 controls neurotransmission strength by limiting presynaptic active zone (AZ) and postsynaptic glutamate receptor (GluR) aligned synapse number, reducing both spontaneous and stimulation-evoked synaptic vesicle (SV) release, and capping SV cycling rate. During high-frequency stimulation (HFS), mutants have faster synaptic depression and impaired recovery while replenishing depleted SV pools. Although LGC1 removal increases the number of glutamatergic synapses, we find that LGC1-null mutants exhibit decreased SV density within presynaptic boutons, particularly SV pools at presynaptic active zones. Thus, LGC1 regulates NMJ neurotransmission to modulate coordinated movement.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meghana Bhimreddy
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Emma Rushton
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Danielle L Kopke
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Kendal Broadie
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA.,Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA.,Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University and Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Pham HTN, Tran HN, Le XT, Do HT, Nguyen TT, Le Nguyen C, Yoshida H, Yamaguchi M, William FR, Matsumoto K. Ilex kudingcha C.J. Tseng Mitigates Phenotypic Characteristics of Human Autism Spectrum Disorders in a Drosophila Melanogaster Rugose Mutant. Neurochem Res 2021; 46:1995-2007. [PMID: 33950474 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-021-03337-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have heterogeneous etiologies involving dysfunction of central nervous systems, for which no effective pan-specific treatments are available. Ilex kudingcha (IK) C.J. Tseng is a nootropic botanical used in Asia for neuroprotection and improvement of cognition. This study establishes that a chemically characterized extract from IK (IKE) mitigates behavioral traits in the Drosophila melanogaster rugose mutant, whose traits resemble human ASD, and examines possible mechanisms. IKE treatment significantly ameliorated deficits in social interaction, short-term memory, and locomotor activity in Drosophila rugose, and significantly increased synaptic bouton number of size more than 2 μm2 in the neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) of Drosophila rugose. To clarify mechanism(s) of IKE action, methylphenidate (MPH), a dopamine transporter inhibitor, was included as a reference drug in the behavioral assays: MPH significantly improved social interaction and short-term memory deficit in Drosophila rugose; administration of the dopamine D1 receptor antagonist SCH23390 and dopamine D2 receptor antagonist sulpiride reversed the ameliorative effects of both MPH and IKE on the social interaction deficits of Drosophila rugose. To extend analysis of IKE treatment to the vertebrate central nervous system, ASD-associated gene expression in mouse hippocampus was studied by RNA-seq: IKE treatment altered the expression of genes coding phosphoinositide 3-kinases/protein kinase B (PI3K-Akt), proteins in glutamatergic, dopaminergic, serotonergic, and GABAergic synapses, cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), and RNA transporter proteins. These results provide a foundation for further analysis of IKE as a candidate for treatment of some forms of ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hang Thi Nguyet Pham
- National Institute of Medicinal Materials, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, 110100, Vietnam.
| | - Hong Nguyen Tran
- National Institute of Medicinal Materials, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, 110100, Vietnam
| | - Xoan Thi Le
- National Institute of Medicinal Materials, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, 110100, Vietnam
| | - Ha Thi Do
- National Institute of Medicinal Materials, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, 110100, Vietnam
| | - Tue Trong Nguyen
- Hanoi Medical University, Dong Da District, Hanoi, 116001, Vietnam
| | - Chien Le Nguyen
- Military Medical Academy, Ha Dong District, Hanoi, 100000, Vietnam
| | - Hideki Yoshida
- Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Kyoto, Sakyo-ku, 606-8585, Japan
| | - Masamistu Yamaguchi
- Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Kyoto, Sakyo-ku, 606-8585, Japan.,Kansai Gakken Laboratory, Kankyo Eisei Yakuhin Co. Ltd, Seika-cho, Kyoto, 619-0237, Japan
| | - Folk R William
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Kinzo Matsumoto
- Center for Supporting Pharmaceutical Education, Daiichi University of Phamacy, Fukuoka, 815-8511, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Goel P, Dickman D. Synaptic homeostats: latent plasticity revealed at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:3159-3179. [PMID: 33449150 PMCID: PMC8044042 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03732-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Homeostatic signaling systems are fundamental forms of biological regulation that maintain stable functionality in a changing environment. In the nervous system, synapses are crucial substrates for homeostatic modulation, serving to establish, maintain, and modify the balance of excitation and inhibition. Synapses must be sufficiently flexible to enable the plasticity required for learning and memory but also endowed with the stability to last a lifetime. In response to the processes of development, growth, remodeling, aging, and disease that challenge synapses, latent forms of adaptive plasticity become activated to maintain synaptic stability. In recent years, new insights into the homeostatic control of synaptic function have been achieved using the powerful Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ). This review will focus on work over the past 10 years that has illuminated the cellular and molecular mechanisms of five homeostats that operate at the fly NMJ. These homeostats adapt to loss of postsynaptic neurotransmitter receptor functionality, glutamate imbalance, axonal injury, as well as aberrant synaptic growth and target innervation. These diverse homeostats work independently yet can be simultaneously expressed to balance neurotransmission. Growing evidence from this model glutamatergic synapse suggests these ancient homeostatic signaling systems emerged early in evolution and are fundamental forms of plasticity that also function to stabilize mammalian cholinergic NMJs and glutamatergic central synapses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pragya Goel
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Dion Dickman
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Bhat SA, Yousuf A, Mushtaq Z, Kumar V, Qurashi A. Fragile X Premutation rCGG Repeats Impair Synaptic Growth and Synaptic Transmission at Drosophila larval Neuromuscular Junction. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:1677-1692. [PMID: 33772546 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) is a late-onset neurodegenerative disease that develops in some premutation (PM) carriers of the FMR1 gene with alleles bearing 55-200 CGG repeats. The discovery of a broad spectrum of clinical and cell developmental abnormalities among PM carriers with or without FXTAS and in model systems suggests that neurodegeneration seen in FXTAS could be the inevitable end-result of pathophysiological processes set during early development. Hence, it is imperative to trace early PM-induced pathological abnormalities. Previous studies have shown that transgenic Drosophila carrying PM-length CGG repeats are sufficient to cause neurodegeneration. Here, we used the same transgenic model to understand the effect of CGG repeats on the structure and function of the developing nervous system. We show that presynaptic expression of CGG repeats restricts synaptic growth, reduces the number of synaptic boutons, leads to aberrant presynaptic varicosities, and impairs synaptic transmission at the larval neuromuscular junctions. The postsynaptic analysis shows that both glutamate receptors and subsynaptic reticulum proteins were normal. However, a high percentage of boutons show a reduced density of Bruchpilot protein, a key component of presynaptic active zones required for vesicle release. The electrophysiological analysis shows a significant reduction in quantal content, a measure of total synaptic vesicles released per excitation potential. Together, these findings suggest that synapse perturbation caused by rCGG repeats mediates presynaptically during larval NMJ development. We also suggest that the stress-activated c-Jun N-terminal kinase protein Basket and CIDE-N protein Drep-2 positively mediate Bruchpilot active zone defects caused by rCGG repeats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sajad A Bhat
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, JK, 190006, India
| | - Aadil Yousuf
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, JK, 190006, India
| | - Zeeshan Mushtaq
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, IISER-Bhopal, Bhopal, MP, 462066, India
| | - Vimlesh Kumar
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, IISER-Bhopal, Bhopal, MP, 462066, India
| | - Abrar Qurashi
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, JK, 190006, India
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Hu C, Feng P, Yang Q, Xiao L. Clinical and Neurobiological Aspects of TAO Kinase Family in Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:655037. [PMID: 33867937 PMCID: PMC8044823 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.655037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the complexity of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), from their genotype to phenotype, in the last few decades substantial progress has been made in understanding their pathophysiology. Recent accumulating evidence shows the relevance of genetic variants in thousand and one (TAO) kinases as major contributors to several NDDs. Although it is well-known that TAO kinases are a highly conserved family of STE20 kinase and play important roles in multiple biological processes, the emerging roles of TAO kinases in neurodevelopment and NDDs have yet to be intensively discussed. In this review article, we summarize the potential roles of the TAO kinases based on structural and biochemical analyses, present the genetic data from clinical investigations, and assess the mechanistic link between the mutations of TAO kinases, neuropathology, and behavioral impairment in NDDs. We then offer potential perspectives from basic research to clinical therapies, which may contribute to fully understanding how TAO kinases are involved in NDDs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chun Hu
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Pan Feng
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qian Yang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lin Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Bridi JC, Bereczki E, Smith SK, Poças GM, Kottler B, Domingos PM, Elliott CJ, Aarsland D, Hirth F. Presynaptic accumulation of α-synuclein causes synaptopathy and progressive neurodegeneration in Drosophila. Brain Commun 2021; 3:fcab049. [PMID: 33997781 PMCID: PMC8111063 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcab049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alpha-synuclein (α-syn) mislocalization and accumulation in intracellular inclusions is the major pathological hallmark of degenerative synucleinopathies, including Parkinson's disease, Parkinson's disease with dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies. Typical symptoms are behavioural abnormalities including motor deficits that mark disease progression, while non-motor symptoms and synaptic deficits are already apparent during the early stages of disease. Synucleinopathies have therefore been considered synaptopathies that exhibit synaptic dysfunction prior to neurodegeneration. However, the mechanisms and events underlying synaptopathy are largely unknown. Here we investigated the cascade of pathological events underlying α-syn accumulation and toxicity in a Drosophila model of synucleinopathy by employing a combination of histological, biochemical, behavioural and electrophysiological assays. Our findings demonstrate that targeted expression of human α-syn leads to its accumulation in presynaptic terminals that caused downregulation of synaptic proteins, cysteine string protein, synapsin, and syntaxin 1A, and a reduction in the number of Bruchpilot puncta, the core component of the presynaptic active zone essential for its structural integrity and function. These α-syn-mediated presynaptic alterations resulted in impaired neuronal function, which triggered behavioural deficits in ageing Drosophila that occurred prior to progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. Comparable alterations in presynaptic active zone protein were found in patient brain samples of dementia with Lewy bodies. Together, these findings demonstrate that presynaptic accumulation of α-syn impairs the active zone and neuronal function, which together cause synaptopathy that results in behavioural deficits and the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons. This sequence of events resembles the cytological and behavioural phenotypes that characterise the onset and progression of synucleinopathies, suggesting that α-syn-mediated synaptopathy is an initiating cause of age-related neurodegeneration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessika C Bridi
- Department of Basic & Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Erika Bereczki
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Center for Alzheimer Research, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Novum, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
| | - Saffron K Smith
- Department of Biology and York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York YO1 5DD, UK
| | - Gonçalo M Poças
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ITQB NOVA), Oeiras, Lisbon 2780-157, Portugal
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 34QP+JV, Australia
| | - Benjamin Kottler
- Department of Basic & Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Pedro M Domingos
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ITQB NOVA), Oeiras, Lisbon 2780-157, Portugal
| | - Christopher J Elliott
- Department of Biology and York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York YO1 5DD, UK
| | - Dag Aarsland
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- Centre for Age-Related Diseases, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger 4068, Norway
| | - Frank Hirth
- Department of Basic & Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London SE5 9RX, UK
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Russo K, Wharton KA. BMP/TGF-β signaling as a modulator of neurodegeneration in ALS. Dev Dyn 2021; 251:10-25. [PMID: 33745185 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This commentary focuses on the emerging intersection between BMP/TGF-β signaling roles in nervous system function and the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) disease state. Future research is critical to elucidate the molecular underpinnings of this intersection of the cellular processes disrupted in ALS and those influenced by BMP/TGF-β signaling, including synapse structure, neurotransmission, plasticity, and neuroinflammation. Such knowledge promises to inform us of ideal entry points for the targeted modulation of dysfunctional cellular processes in an effort to abrogate ALS pathologies. It is likely that different interventions are required, either at discrete points in disease progression, or across multiple dysfunctional processes which together lead to motor neuron degeneration and death. We discuss the challenging, but intriguing idea that modulation of the pleiotropic nature of BMP/TGF-β signaling could be advantageous, as a way to simultaneously treat defects in more than one cell process across different forms of ALS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Russo
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.,Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Kristi A Wharton
- Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.,Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Belalcazar HM, Hendricks EL, Zamurrad S, Liebl FLW, Secombe J. The histone demethylase KDM5 is required for synaptic structure and function at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction. Cell Rep 2021; 34:108753. [PMID: 33596422 PMCID: PMC7945993 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the genes encoding the lysine demethylase 5 (KDM5) family of histone demethylases are observed in individuals with intellectual disability (ID). Despite clear evidence linking KDM5 function to neurodevelopmental pathways, how this family of proteins impacts transcriptional programs to mediate synaptic structure and activity remains unclear. Using the Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ), we show that KDM5 is required presynaptically for neuroanatomical development and synaptic function. The Jumonji C (JmjC) domain-encoded histone demethylase activity of KDM5, which is expected to be diminished by many ID-associated alleles, is required for appropriate synaptic morphology and neurotransmission. The activity of the C5HC2 zinc finger is also required, as an ID-associated mutation in this motif reduces NMJ bouton number, increases bouton size, and alters microtubule dynamics. KDM5 therefore uses demethylase-dependent and independent mechanisms to regulate NMJ structure and activity, highlighting the complex nature by which this chromatin modifier carries out its neuronal gene-regulatory programs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Helen M Belalcazar
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Emily L Hendricks
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 44 Circle Drive, Edwardsville, IL 62026, USA
| | - Sumaira Zamurrad
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Faith L W Liebl
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 44 Circle Drive, Edwardsville, IL 62026, USA
| | - Julie Secombe
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1410 Pelham Parkway South, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Birnbaum A, Sodders M, Bouska M, Chang K, Kang P, McNeill E, Bai H. FOXO Regulates Neuromuscular Junction Homeostasis During Drosophila Aging. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 12:567861. [PMID: 33584240 PMCID: PMC7874159 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.567861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor foxo is a known regulator of lifespan extension and tissue homeostasis. It has been linked to the maintenance of neuronal processes across many species and has been shown to promote youthful characteristics by regulating cytoskeletal flexibility and synaptic plasticity at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). However, the role of foxo in aging neuromuscular junction function has yet to be determined. We profiled adult Drosophila foxo- null mutant abdominal ventral longitudinal muscles and found that young mutants exhibited morphological profiles similar to those of aged wild-type flies, such as larger bouton areas and shorter terminal branches. We also observed changes to the axonal cytoskeleton and an accumulation of late endosomes in foxo null mutants and motor neuron-specific foxo knockdown flies, similar to those of aged wild-types. Motor neuron-specific overexpression of foxo can delay age-dependent changes to NMJ morphology, suggesting foxo is responsible for maintaining NMJ integrity during aging. Through genetic screening, we identify several downstream factors mediated through foxo-regulated NMJ homeostasis, including genes involved in the MAPK pathway. Interestingly, the phosphorylation of p38 was increased in the motor neuron-specific foxo knockdown flies, suggesting foxo acts as a suppressor of p38/MAPK activation. Our work reveals that foxo is a key regulator for NMJ homeostasis, and it may maintain NMJ integrity by repressing MAPK signaling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Allison Birnbaum
- Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States.,Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Maggie Sodders
- Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Mark Bouska
- Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Kai Chang
- Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Ping Kang
- Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Elizabeth McNeill
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Hua Bai
- Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| |
Collapse
|