1
|
Fishburn JLA, Larson HL, Nguyen A, Welch CJ, Moore T, Penn A, Newman J, Mangino A, Widman E, Ghobashy R, Witherspoon J, Lee W, Mulligan KA. Bisphenol F affects neurodevelopmental gene expression, mushroom body development, and behavior in Drosophila melanogaster. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2024; 102:107331. [PMID: 38301979 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2024.107331] [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: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Bisphenol F (BPF) is a potential neurotoxicant used as a replacement for bisphenol A (BPA) in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. We investigated the neurodevelopmental impacts of BPF exposure using Drosophila melanogaster as a model. Our transcriptomic analysis indicated that developmental exposure to BPF caused the downregulation of neurodevelopmentally relevant genes, including those associated with synapse formation and neuronal projection. To investigate the functional outcome of BPF exposure, we evaluated neurodevelopmental impacts across two genetic strains of Drosophila- w1118 (control) and the Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) model-by examining both behavioral and neuronal phenotypes. We found that BPF exposure in w1118 Drosophila caused hypoactive larval locomotor activity, decreased time spent grooming by adults, reduced courtship activity, and increased the severity but not frequency of β-lobe midline crossing defects by axons in the mushroom body. In contrast, although BPF reduced peristaltic contractions in FXS larvae, it had no impact on other larval locomotor phenotypes, grooming activity, or courtship activity. Strikingly, BPF exposure reduced both the severity and frequency of β-lobe midline crossing defects in the mushroom body of FXS flies, a phenotype previously observed in FXS flies exposed to BPA. This data indicates that BPF can affect neurodevelopment and its impacts vary depending on genetic background. Further, BPF may elicit a gene-environment interaction with Drosophila fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (dFmr1)-the ortholog of human FMR1, which causes fragile X syndrome and is the most common monogenetic cause of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Judith L A Fishburn
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, California State University, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95819, United States
| | - Heather L Larson
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, California State University, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95819, United States
| | - An Nguyen
- Department of Computer Science, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, San José State University, 6000 J Street, San José, CA 95819, United States
| | - Chloe J Welch
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, California State University, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95819, United States
| | - Taylor Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, California State University, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95819, United States
| | - Aliyah Penn
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, California State University, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95819, United States
| | - Johnathan Newman
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, California State University, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95819, United States
| | - Anthony Mangino
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, California State University, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95819, United States
| | - Erin Widman
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, California State University, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95819, United States
| | - Rana Ghobashy
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, California State University, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95819, United States
| | - Jocelyn Witherspoon
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, California State University, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95819, United States
| | - Wendy Lee
- Department of Computer Science, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, San José State University, 6000 J Street, San José, CA 95819, United States
| | - Kimberly A Mulligan
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, California State University, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95819, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lin S. The making of the Drosophila mushroom body. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1091248. [PMID: 36711013 PMCID: PMC9880076 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1091248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The mushroom body (MB) is a computational center in the Drosophila brain. The intricate neural circuits of the mushroom body enable it to store associative memories and process sensory and internal state information. The mushroom body is composed of diverse types of neurons that are precisely assembled during development. Tremendous efforts have been made to unravel the molecular and cellular mechanisms that build the mushroom body. However, we are still at the beginning of this challenging quest, with many key aspects of mushroom body assembly remaining unexplored. In this review, I provide an in-depth overview of our current understanding of mushroom body development and pertinent knowledge gaps.
Collapse
|
3
|
Liu W, Liang W, Xiong XP, Li JL, Zhou R. A circular RNA Edis-Relish-castor axis regulates neuronal development in Drosophila. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010433. [PMID: 36301831 PMCID: PMC9612563 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a new group of noncoding/regulatory RNAs that are particularly abundant in the nervous system, however, their physiological functions are underexplored. Here we report that the brain-enriched circular RNA Edis (Ect4-derived immune suppressor) plays an essential role in neuronal development in Drosophila. We show that depletion of Edis in vivo causes defects in axonal projection patterns of mushroom body (MB) neurons in the brain, as well as impaired locomotor activity and shortened lifespan of adult flies. In addition, we find that the castor gene, which encodes a transcription factor involved in neurodevelopment, is upregulated in Edis knockdown neurons. Notably, castor overexpression phenocopies Edis knockdown, and reducing castor levels suppresses the neurodevelopmental phenotypes in Edis-depleted neurons. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis reveals that the transcription factor Relish, which plays a key role in regulating innate immunity signaling, occupies a pair of sites at the castor promoter, and that both sites are required for optimal castor gene activation by either immune challenge or Edis depletion. Lastly, Relish mutation and/or depletion can rescue both the castor gene hyperactivation phenotype and neuronal defects in Edis knockdown animals. We conclude that the circular RNA Edis acts through Relish and castor to regulate neuronal development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Liu
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Cancer and Blood Disorders Institute, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg, Florida, United States of America
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg, Florida, United States of America
| | - Weihong Liang
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Cancer and Blood Disorders Institute, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg, Florida, United States of America
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg, Florida, United States of America
| | - Xiao-Peng Xiong
- Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program, NCI-Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- Development, Aging and Regeneration Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Jian-Liang Li
- Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program, NCI-Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Rui Zhou
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Cancer and Blood Disorders Institute, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg, Florida, United States of America
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg, Florida, United States of America
- Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program, NCI-Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- Development, Aging and Regeneration Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lipophorin receptors regulate mushroom body development and complex behaviors in Drosophila. BMC Biol 2022; 20:198. [PMID: 36071487 PMCID: PMC9454125 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01393-1] [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: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Drosophila melanogaster lipophorin receptors (LpRs), LpR1 and LpR2, are members of the LDLR family known to mediate lipid uptake in a range of organisms from Drosophila to humans. The vertebrate orthologs of LpRs, ApoER2 and VLDL-R, function as receptors of a glycoprotein involved in development of the central nervous system, Reelin, which is not present in flies. ApoER2 and VLDL-R are associated with the development and function of the hippocampus and cerebral cortex, important association areas in the mammalian brain, as well as with neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders linked to those regions. It is currently unknown whether LpRs play similar roles in the Drosophila brain. RESULTS We report that LpR-deficient flies exhibit impaired olfactory memory and sleep patterns, which seem to reflect anatomical defects found in a critical brain association area, the mushroom bodies (MB). Moreover, cultured MB neurons respond to mammalian Reelin by increasing the complexity of their neurite arborization. This effect depends on LpRs and Dab, the Drosophila ortholog of the Reelin signaling adaptor protein Dab1. In vitro, two of the long isoforms of LpRs allow the internalization of Reelin, suggesting that Drosophila LpRs interact with human Reelin to induce downstream cellular events. CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrate that LpRs contribute to MB development and function, supporting the existence of a LpR-dependent signaling in Drosophila, and advance our understanding of the molecular factors functioning in neural systems to generate complex behaviors in this model. Our results further emphasize the importance of Drosophila as a model to investigate the alterations in specific genes contributing to neural disorders.
Collapse
|
5
|
Corgiat EB, List SM, Rounds JC, Yu D, Chen P, Corbett AH, Moberg KH. The Nab2 RNA-binding protein patterns dendritic and axonal projections through a planar cell polarity-sensitive mechanism. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:jkac100. [PMID: 35471546 PMCID: PMC9157165 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
RNA-binding proteins support neurodevelopment by modulating numerous steps in post-transcriptional regulation, including splicing, export, translation, and turnover of mRNAs that can traffic into axons and dendrites. One such RNA-binding protein is ZC3H14, which is lost in an inherited intellectual disability. The Drosophila melanogaster ZC3H14 ortholog, Nab2, localizes to neuronal nuclei and cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein granules and is required for olfactory memory and proper axon projection into brain mushroom bodies. Nab2 can act as a translational repressor in conjunction with the Fragile-X mental retardation protein homolog Fmr1 and shares target RNAs with the Fmr1-interacting RNA-binding protein Ataxin-2. However, neuronal signaling pathways regulated by Nab2 and their potential roles outside of mushroom body axons remain undefined. Here, we present an analysis of a brain proteomic dataset that indicates that multiple planar cell polarity proteins are affected by Nab2 loss, and couple this with genetic data that demonstrate that Nab2 has a previously unappreciated role in restricting the growth and branching of dendrites that elaborate from larval body-wall sensory neurons. Further analysis confirms that Nab2 loss sensitizes sensory dendrites to the genetic dose of planar cell polarity components and that Nab2-planar cell polarity genetic interactions are also observed during Nab2-dependent control of axon projection in the central nervous system mushroom bodies. Collectively, these data identify the conserved Nab2 RNA-binding protein as a likely component of post-transcriptional mechanisms that limit dendrite growth and branching in Drosophila sensory neurons and genetically link this role to the planar cell polarity pathway. Given that mammalian ZC3H14 localizes to dendritic spines and controls spine density in hippocampal neurons, these Nab2-planar cell polarity genetic data may highlight a conserved path through which Nab2/ZC3H14 loss affects morphogenesis of both axons and dendrites in diverse species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edwin B Corgiat
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Genetics and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Sara M List
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - J Christopher Rounds
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Genetics and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Dehong Yu
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Ping Chen
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Anita H Corbett
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Kenneth H Moberg
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Shi F, Mendrola JM, Sheetz JB, Wu N, Sommer A, Speer KF, Noordermeer JN, Kan ZY, Perry K, Englander SW, Stayrook SE, Fradkin LG, Lemmon MA. ROR and RYK extracellular region structures suggest that receptor tyrosine kinases have distinct WNT-recognition modes. Cell Rep 2021; 37:109834. [PMID: 34686333 PMCID: PMC8650758 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
WNTs play key roles in development and disease, signaling through Frizzled (FZD) seven-pass transmembrane receptors and numerous co-receptors including ROR and RYK family receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). We describe crystal structures and WNT-binding characteristics of extracellular regions from the Drosophila ROR and RYK orthologs Nrk (neurospecific receptor tyrosine kinase) and Derailed-2 (Drl-2), which bind WNTs though a FZD-related cysteine-rich domain (CRD) and WNT-inhibitory factor (WIF) domain respectively. Our crystal structures suggest that neither Nrk nor Drl-2 can accommodate the acyl chain typically attached to WNTs. The Nrk CRD contains a deeply buried bound fatty acid, unlikely to be exchangeable. The Drl-2 WIF domain lacks the lipid-binding site seen in WIF-1. We also find that recombinant DWnt-5 can bind Drosophila ROR and RYK orthologs despite lacking an acyl chain. Alongside analyses of WNT/receptor interaction sites, our structures provide further insight into how WNTs may recruit RTK co-receptors into signaling complexes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fumin Shi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jeannine M Mendrola
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Joshua B Sheetz
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Yale Cancer Biology Institute, Yale University West Campus, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
| | - Neo Wu
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Anselm Sommer
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Yale Cancer Biology Institute, Yale University West Campus, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
| | - Kelsey F Speer
- Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Medicine (Hematology-Oncology), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jasprina N Noordermeer
- Molecular Cell Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2333 ZC, the Netherlands
| | - Zhong-Yuan Kan
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kay Perry
- NE-CAT, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA
| | - S Walter Englander
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Steven E Stayrook
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Yale Cancer Biology Institute, Yale University West Campus, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
| | - Lee G Fradkin
- Molecular Cell Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2333 ZC, the Netherlands; Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Mark A Lemmon
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Yale Cancer Biology Institute, Yale University West Campus, West Haven, CT 06516, USA; Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
van Vliet AC, Lee J, van der Poel M, Mason MRJ, Noordermeer JN, Fradkin LG, Tannemaat MR, Malessy MJA, Verhaagen J, De Winter F. Coordinated changes in the expression of Wnt pathway genes following human and rat peripheral nerve injury. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0249748. [PMID: 33848304 PMCID: PMC8043392 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A human neuroma-in continuity (NIC), formed following a peripheral nerve lesion, impedes functional recovery. The molecular mechanisms that underlie the formation of a NIC are poorly understood. Here we show that the expression of multiple genes of the Wnt family, including Wnt5a, is changed in NIC tissue from patients that underwent reconstructive surgery. The role of Wnt ligands in NIC pathology and nerve regeneration is of interest because Wnt ligands are implicated in tissue regeneration, fibrosis, axon repulsion and guidance. The observations in NIC prompted us to investigate the expression of Wnt ligands in the injured rat sciatic nerve and in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). In the injured nerve, four gene clusters were identified with temporal expression profiles corresponding to particular phases of the regeneration process. In the DRG up- and down regulation of certain Wnt receptors suggests that nerve injury has an impact on the responsiveness of injured sensory neurons to Wnt ligands in the nerve. Immunohistochemistry showed that Schwann cells in the NIC and in the injured nerve are the source of Wnt5a, whereas the Wnt5a receptor Ryk is expressed by axons traversing the NIC. Taken together, these observations suggest a central role for Wnt signalling in peripheral nerve regeneration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arie C. van Vliet
- Laboratory for Neuroregeneration, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, An Institute of the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Neurosurgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jinhui Lee
- Laboratory for Neuroregeneration, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, An Institute of the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marlijn van der Poel
- Laboratory for Neuroregeneration, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, An Institute of the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Matthew R. J. Mason
- Laboratory for Neuroregeneration, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, An Institute of the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Lee G. Fradkin
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Martijn R. Tannemaat
- Laboratory for Neuroregeneration, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, An Institute of the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn J. A. Malessy
- Laboratory for Neuroregeneration, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, An Institute of the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Neurosurgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Joost Verhaagen
- Laboratory for Neuroregeneration, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, An Institute of the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Fred De Winter
- Laboratory for Neuroregeneration, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, An Institute of the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Neurosurgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Axonal chemokine-like Orion induces astrocyte infiltration and engulfment during mushroom body neuronal remodeling. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1849. [PMID: 33758182 PMCID: PMC7988174 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22054-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The remodeling of neurons is a conserved fundamental mechanism underlying nervous system maturation and function. Astrocytes can clear neuronal debris and they have an active role in neuronal remodeling. Developmental axon pruning of Drosophila memory center neurons occurs via a degenerative process mediated by infiltrating astrocytes. However, how astrocytes are recruited to the axons during brain development is unclear. Using an unbiased screen, we identify the gene requirement of orion, encoding for a chemokine-like protein, in the developing mushroom bodies. Functional analysis shows that Orion is necessary for both axonal pruning and removal of axonal debris. Orion performs its functions extracellularly and bears some features common to chemokines, a family of chemoattractant cytokines. We propose that Orion is a neuronal signal that elicits astrocyte infiltration and astrocyte-driven axonal engulfment required during neuronal remodeling in the Drosophila developing brain. Astrocytes can engulf axonal debris in the developing brain. However, the mechanisms regulating astrocyte recruitment to the proper axons is unclear. Here, the authors identify Orion as a signal for astrocyte infiltration and engulfment to the mushroom bodies in the Drosophila developing brain.
Collapse
|
9
|
Marquilly C, Busto GU, Leger BS, Boulanger A, Giniger E, Walker JA, Fradkin LG, Dura JM. Htt is a repressor of Abl activity required for APP-induced axonal growth. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009287. [PMID: 33465062 PMCID: PMC7845969 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease is a progressive autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by the expansion of a polyglutamine tract at the N-terminus of a large cytoplasmic protein. The Drosophila huntingtin (htt) gene is widely expressed during all developmental stages from embryos to adults. However, Drosophila htt mutant individuals are viable with no obvious developmental defects. We asked if such defects could be detected in htt mutants in a background that had been genetically sensitized to reveal cryptic developmental functions. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Appl is the Drosophila APP ortholog and Appl signaling modulates axon outgrowth in the mushroom bodies (MBs), the learning and memory center in the fly, in part by recruiting Abl tyrosine kinase. Here, we find that htt mutations suppress axon outgrowth defects of αβ neurons in Appl mutant MB by derepressing the activity of Abl. We show that Abl is required in MB αβ neurons for their axon outgrowth. Importantly, both Abl overexpression and lack of expression produce similar phenotypes in the MBs, indicating the necessity of tightly regulating Abl activity. We find that Htt behaves genetically as a repressor of Abl activity, and consistent with this, in vivo FRET-based measurements reveal a significant increase in Abl kinase activity in the MBs when Htt levels are reduced. Thus, Appl and Htt have essential but opposing roles in MB development, promoting and suppressing Abl kinase activity, respectively, to maintain the appropriate intermediate level necessary for axon growth. Understanding the normal physiological roles of proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases can provide significant insight into disease mechanisms. Drosophila offers a powerful system in which to ask these fundamental questions. Both Htt, related to Huntington’s disease, and Appl, related to Alzheimer’s disease, have well-conserved single orthologs in the fly genome. Appl has been shown to be a conserved modulator of a Wnt-PCP signaling pathway required for axon outgrowth in the mushroom body (MB) in the Drosophila brain. However, roles for Htt in fly brain development have not been reported. Unexpectedly, we found that htt mutations suppress the axon outgrowth defects of Appl mutants in the MB, indicating a link between these two neurodegenerative proteins and a cryptic role of Htt during development. Abl tyrosine kinase is a downstream effector of the Appl receptor, and we show here that Abl is also required for MB axon outgrowth. Importantly, Abl activity must be tightly regulated as evidenced by our observations that both under and overexpression of Abl result in similar axonal defects. We demonstrate that Htt is an inhibitor of Abl activity and provide evidence that the phenotypic rescue of αβ axons in Appl mutants by reducing htt is mediated by the restoration of proper levels of Abl signaling. These data, therefore, suggest that Appl and Htt act antagonistically to maintain an optimal balance of activation and inhibition of Abl, and thereby promote the growth of MB αβ axons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claire Marquilly
- IGH, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Germain U. Busto
- IGH, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Brittany S. Leger
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Ana Boulanger
- IGH, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Edward Giniger
- Intramural Research Program, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - James A. Walker
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Lee G. Fradkin
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jean-Maurice Dura
- IGH, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Hing H, Reger N, Snyder J, Fradkin LG. Interplay between axonal Wnt5-Vang and dendritic Wnt5-Drl/Ryk signaling controls glomerular patterning in the Drosophila antennal lobe. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008767. [PMID: 32357156 PMCID: PMC7219789 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Revised: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the importance of dendritic targeting in neural circuit assembly, the mechanisms by which it is controlled still remain incompletely understood. We previously showed that in the developing Drosophila antennal lobe, the Wnt5 protein forms a gradient that directs the ~45˚ rotation of a cluster of projection neuron (PN) dendrites, including the adjacent DA1 and VA1d dendrites. We report here that the Van Gogh (Vang) transmembrane planar cell polarity (PCP) protein is required for the rotation of the DA1/VA1d dendritic pair. Cell type-specific rescue and mosaic analyses showed that Vang functions in the olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs), suggesting a codependence of ORN axonal and PN dendritic targeting. Loss of Vang suppressed the repulsion of the VA1d dendrites by Wnt5, indicating that Wnt5 signals through Vang to direct the rotation of the DA1 and VA1d glomeruli. We observed that the Derailed (Drl)/Ryk atypical receptor tyrosine kinase is also required for the rotation of the DA1/VA1d dendritic pair. Antibody staining showed that Drl/Ryk is much more highly expressed by the DA1 dendrites than the adjacent VA1d dendrites. Mosaic and epistatic analyses showed that Drl/Ryk specifically functions in the DA1 dendrites in which it antagonizes the Wnt5-Vang repulsion and mediates the migration of the DA1 glomerulus towards Wnt5. Thus, the nascent DA1 and VA1d glomeruli appear to exhibit Drl/Ryk-dependent biphasic responses to Wnt5. Our work shows that the final patterning of the fly olfactory map is the result of an interplay between ORN axons and PN dendrites, wherein converging pre- and postsynaptic processes contribute key Wnt5 signaling components, allowing Wnt5 to orient the rotation of nascent synapses through a PCP mechanism. During brain development, the processes of nerve cells, axons and dendrites, grow over long distances to find and connect with each other to form synapses in precise locations. Understanding the mechanisms that control the growth of these neurites is important for understanding normal brain functions like neuronal plasticity and neural diseases like autism. Although much progress has been made by studying the development of axons and dendrites separately, the mechanisms that guide neuronal processes to their final locations are still incompletely understood. In particular, careful observation of converging pre- and postsynaptic processes suggests that their targeting may be coordinated. Whether the final targeting of axons and dendrites are functionally linked and what molecular mechanisms may be involved are unknown. In this paper we show that, in the developing Drosophila olfactory circuit, coalescing axons and dendrites respond to the extracellular Wnt5 signal in a codependent manner. We demonstrate that the converging axons and dendrites contribute different signaling components to the Wnt5 pathway, the Vang Gogh and Derailed transmembrane receptors respectively, which allow Wnt5 to coordinately guide the targeting of the neurites. Our work thus reveals a novel mechanism of neural circuit patterning and the molecular mechanism that controls it.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huey Hing
- Department of Biology, State University of New York at Brockport, Brockport, NY, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Noah Reger
- Department of Biology, State University of New York at Brockport, Brockport, NY, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Snyder
- Department of Biology, State University of New York at Brockport, Brockport, NY, United States of America
| | - Lee G. Fradkin
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Amourda C, Saunders TE. The mirtron miR-1010 functions in concert with its host gene SKIP to balance elevation of nAcRβ2. Sci Rep 2020; 10:1688. [PMID: 32015391 PMCID: PMC6997181 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58655-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Mirtrons are non-canonical miRNAs arising by splicing and debranching from short introns. A plethora of introns have been inferred by computational analyses as potential mirtrons. Yet, few have been experimentally validated and their functions, particularly in relation to their host genes, remain poorly understood. Here, we found that Drosophila larvae lacking either the mirtron miR-1010 or its binding site in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor β2 (nAcRβ2) 3′UTR fail to grow properly and pupariate. Increase of cortical nAcRβ2 mediated by neural activity elevates the level of intracellular Ca2+, which in turn activates CaMKII and, further downstream, the transcription factor Adf-1. We show that miR-1010 downregulates nAcRβ2. We reveal that Adf-1 initiates the expression of SKIP, the host gene of miR-1010. Preventing synaptic potentials from overshooting their optimal range requires both SKIP to temper synaptic potentials (incoherent feedforward loop) and miR-1010 to reduce nAcRβ2 mRNA levels (negative feedback loop). Our results demonstrate how a mirtron, in coordination with its host gene, contributes to maintaining appropriate receptor levels, which in turn may play a role in maintaining homeostasis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Amourda
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. .,MRC London Institute of Medical Science, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
| | - Timothy E Saunders
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. .,Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. .,Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*Star, Proteos, Singapore.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
McKenzie MG, Cobbs LV, Dummer PD, Petros TJ, Halford MM, Stacker SA, Zou Y, Fishell GJ, Au E. Non-canonical Wnt Signaling through Ryk Regulates the Generation of Somatostatin- and Parvalbumin-Expressing Cortical Interneurons. Neuron 2019; 103:853-864.e4. [PMID: 31257105 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
GABAergic interneurons have many important functions in cortical circuitry, a reflection of their cell diversity. The developmental origins of this diversity are poorly understood. Here, we identify rostral-caudal regionality in Wnt exposure within the interneuron progenitor zone delineating the specification of the two main interneuron subclasses. Caudally situated medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) progenitors receive high levels of Wnt signaling and give rise to somatostatin (SST)-expressing cortical interneurons. By contrast, parvalbumin (PV)-expressing basket cells originate mostly from the rostral MGE, where Wnt signaling is attenuated. Interestingly, rather than canonical signaling through β-catenin, signaling via the non-canonical Wnt receptor Ryk regulates interneuron cell-fate specification in vivo and in vitro. Indeed, gain of function of Ryk intracellular domain signaling regulates SST and PV fate in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting that Ryk signaling acts in a graded fashion. These data reveal an important role for non-canonical Wnt-Ryk signaling in establishing the correct ratios of cortical interneuron subtypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa G McKenzie
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; NYU Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Lucy V Cobbs
- NYU Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Patrick D Dummer
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Timothy J Petros
- NYU Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Michael M Halford
- Tumour Angiogenesis and Microenvironment Program, Department of Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan St, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Steven A Stacker
- Tumour Angiogenesis and Microenvironment Program, Department of Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan St, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Yimin Zou
- Neurobiology Section, Biological Sciences Division, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Gord J Fishell
- NYU Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 04115, USA; The Stanley Center at the Broad, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Edmund Au
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; NYU Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia Translational Neuroscience Initiative Scholar, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Roy JP, Halford MM, Stacker SA. The biochemistry, signalling and disease relevance of RYK and other WNT-binding receptor tyrosine kinases. Growth Factors 2018; 36:15-40. [PMID: 29806777 DOI: 10.1080/08977194.2018.1472089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are a well-characterized family of growth factor receptors that have central roles in human disease and are frequently therapeutically targeted. The RYK, ROR, PTK7 and MuSK subfamilies make up an understudied subset of WNT-binding RTKs. Numerous developmental, stem cell and pathological roles of WNTs, in particular WNT5A, involve signalling via these WNT receptors. The WNT-binding RTKs have highly context-dependent signalling outputs and stimulate the β-catenin-dependent, planar cell polarity and/or WNT/Ca2+ pathways. RYK, ROR and PTK7 members have a pseudokinase domain in their intracellular regions. Alternative signalling mechanisms, including proteolytic cleavage and protein scaffolding functions, have been identified for these receptors. This review explores the structure, signalling, physiological and pathological roles of RYK, with particular attention paid to cancer and the possibility of therapeutically targeting RYK. The other WNT-binding RTKs are compared with RYK throughout to highlight the similarities and differences within this subset of WNT receptors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James P Roy
- a Tumour Angiogenesis and Microenvironment Program , Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre , Melbourne , Australia
- b Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology , The University of Melbourne , Parkville , Australia
| | - Michael M Halford
- a Tumour Angiogenesis and Microenvironment Program , Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre , Melbourne , Australia
| | - Steven A Stacker
- a Tumour Angiogenesis and Microenvironment Program , Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre , Melbourne , Australia
- b Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology , The University of Melbourne , Parkville , Australia
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Kelly SM, Elchert A, Kahl M. Dissection and Immunofluorescent Staining of Mushroom Body and Photoreceptor Neurons in Adult Drosophila melanogaster Brains. J Vis Exp 2017. [PMID: 29155751 PMCID: PMC5755316 DOI: 10.3791/56174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Nervous system development involves a sequential series of events that are coordinated by several signaling pathways and regulatory networks. Many of the proteins involved in these pathways are evolutionarily conserved between mammals and other eukaryotes, such as the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, suggesting that similar organizing principles exist during the development of these organisms. Importantly, Drosophila has been used extensively to identify cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating processes that are required in mammals including neurogenesis, differentiation, axonal guidance, and synaptogenesis. Flies have also been used successfully to model a variety of human neurodevelopmental diseases. Here we describe a protocol for the step-by-step microdissection, fixation, and immunofluorescent localization of proteins within the adult Drosophila brain. This protocol focuses on two example neuronal populations, mushroom body neurons and retinal photoreceptors, and includes optional steps to trace individual mushroom body neurons using Mosaic Analysis with a Repressible Cell Marker (MARCM) technique. Example data from both wild-type and mutant brains are shown along with a brief description of a scoring criteria for axonal guidance defects. While this protocol highlights two well-established antibodies for investigating the morphology of mushroom body and photoreceptor neurons, other Drosophila brain regions and the localization of proteins within other brain regions can also be investigated using this protocol.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Seth M Kelly
- Program in Neuroscience, The College of Wooster; Department of Biology, The College of Wooster;
| | - Alexandra Elchert
- Program in Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology, The College of Wooster
| | - Michael Kahl
- Department of Biology, The College of Wooster; Program in Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology, The College of Wooster
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
DISCO interacting protein 2 determines direction of axon projection under the regulation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase in the Drosophila mushroom body. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2017; 487:116-121. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2017.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
|
16
|
Hessinger C, Technau GM, Rogulja-Ortmann A. The Drosophila Hox gene Ultrabithorax acts in both muscles and motoneurons to orchestrate formation of specific neuromuscular connections. Development 2016; 144:139-150. [PMID: 27913640 PMCID: PMC5278631 DOI: 10.1242/dev.143875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Hox genes are known to specify motoneuron pools in the developing vertebrate spinal cord and to control motoneuronal targeting in several species. However, the mechanisms controlling axial diversification of muscle innervation patterns are still largely unknown. We present data showing that the Drosophila Hox gene Ultrabithorax (Ubx) acts in the late embryo to establish target specificity of ventrally projecting RP motoneurons. In abdominal segments A2 to A7, RP motoneurons innervate the ventrolateral muscles VL1-4, with VL1 and VL2 being innervated in a Wnt4-dependent manner. In Ubx mutants, these motoneurons fail to make correct contacts with muscle VL1, a phenotype partially resembling that of the Wnt4 mutant. We show that Ubx regulates expression of Wnt4 in muscle VL2 and that it interacts with the Wnt4 response pathway in the respective motoneurons. Ubx thus orchestrates the interaction between two cell types, muscles and motoneurons, to regulate establishment of the ventrolateral neuromuscular network. Summary: Ultrabithorax controls correct innervation of ventrolateral muscles by coordinating Wnt4 ligand expression in muscles with the signalling pathway response in motoneurons.
Collapse
|
17
|
Oliva C, Hassan BA. Receptor Tyrosine Kinases and Phosphatases in Neuronal Wiring: Insights From Drosophila. Curr Top Dev Biol 2016; 123:399-432. [PMID: 28236973 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2016.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Tyrosine phosphorylation is at the crossroads of many signaling pathways. Brain wiring is not an exception, and several receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and tyrosine receptor phosphates (RPTPs) have been involved in this process. Considerable work has been done on RTKs, and for many of them, detailed molecular mechanisms and functions in several systems have been characterized. In contrast, RPTPs have been studied considerably less and little is known about their ligands and substrates. In both families, we find redundancy between different members to accomplish particular wiring patterns. Strikingly, some RTKs and RPTPs have lost their catalytic activity during evolution, but not their importance in biological processes. In this regard, we have to keep in mind that these proteins have multiple domains and some of their functions are independent of tyrosine phosphorylation/dephosphorylation. Since RTKs and RPTPs are enzymes involved not only in early stages of axon and dendrite pathfinding but also in synapse formation and physiology, they have a potential as drug targets. Drosophila has been a key model organism in the search of a better understanding of brain wiring, and its sophisticated toolbox is very suitable for studying the function of genes with pleiotropic functions such as RTKs and RPTPs, from wiring to synaptic formation and function. In these review, we mainly cover findings from this model organism and complement them with discoveries in vertebrate systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Oliva
- Biomedical Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad of Chile, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Bassem A Hassan
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Institut du Cerveau et la Moelle (ICM)-Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Boulevard de l'Hôpital, Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|