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Asuncion JD, Eamani A, Rohrbach EW, Knapp EM, Deshpande SA, Bonanno SL, Murphy JE, Lawal HO, Krantz DE. Precise CRISPR-Cas9-mediated mutation of a membrane trafficking domain in the Drosophila vesicular monoamine transporter gene. Curr Res Physiol 2023; 6:100101. [PMID: 37409154 PMCID: PMC10318446 DOI: 10.1016/j.crphys.2023.100101] [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: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Monoamine neurotransmitters such as noradrenalin are released from both synaptic vesicles (SVs) and large dense-core vesicles (LDCVs), the latter mediating extrasynaptic signaling. The contribution of synaptic versus extrasynaptic signaling to circuit function and behavior remains poorly understood. To address this question, we have previously used transgenes encoding a mutation in the Drosophila Vesicular Monoamine Transporter (dVMAT) that shifts amine release from SVs to LDCVs. To circumvent the use of transgenes with non-endogenous patterns of expression, we have now used CRISPR-Cas9 to generate a trafficking mutant in the endogenous dVMAT gene. To minimize disruption of the dVMAT coding sequence and a nearby RNA splice site, we precisely introduced a point mutation using single-stranded oligonucleotide repair. A predicted decrease in fertility was used as a phenotypic screen to identify founders in lieu of a visible marker. Phenotypic analysis revealed a defect in the ovulation of mature follicles and egg retention in the ovaries. We did not detect defects in the contraction of lateral oviducts following optogenetic stimulation of octopaminergic neurons. Our findings suggest that release of mature eggs from the ovary is disrupted by changing the balance of VMAT trafficking between SVs and LDCVs. Further experiments using this model will help determine the mechanisms that sensitize specific circuits to changes in synaptic versus extrasynaptic signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D. Asuncion
- Medical Scientist Training Program, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- UCLA Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Aditya Eamani
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Ethan W. Rohrbach
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- UCLA Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Elizabeth M. Knapp
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Sonali A. Deshpande
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Shivan L. Bonanno
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Jeremy E. Murphy
- Department of Biological Sciences, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, USA, 19901, USA
| | - Hakeem O. Lawal
- Department of Biological Sciences, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, USA, 19901, USA
| | - David E. Krantz
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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Vesicular neurotransmitter transporters in Drosophila melanogaster. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2020; 1862:183308. [PMID: 32305263 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster express vesicular transporters for the storage of neurotransmitters acetylcholine, biogenic amines, GABA, and glutamate. The large array of powerful molecular-genetic tools available in Drosophila enhances the use of this model organism for studying transporter function and regulation.
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Li J, Zhang YV, Asghari Adib E, Stanchev DT, Xiong X, Klinedinst S, Soppina P, Jahn TR, Hume RI, Rasse TM, Collins CA. Restraint of presynaptic protein levels by Wnd/DLK signaling mediates synaptic defects associated with the kinesin-3 motor Unc-104. eLife 2017; 6:e24271. [PMID: 28925357 PMCID: PMC5605197 DOI: 10.7554/elife.24271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The kinesin-3 family member Unc-104/KIF1A is required for axonal transport of many presynaptic components to synapses, and mutation of this gene results in synaptic dysfunction in mice, flies and worms. Our studies at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction indicate that many synaptic defects in unc-104-null mutants are mediated independently of Unc-104's transport function, via the Wallenda (Wnd)/DLK MAP kinase axonal damage signaling pathway. Wnd signaling becomes activated when Unc-104's function is disrupted, and leads to impairment of synaptic structure and function by restraining the expression level of active zone (AZ) and synaptic vesicle (SV) components. This action concomitantly suppresses the buildup of synaptic proteins in neuronal cell bodies, hence may play an adaptive role to stresses that impair axonal transport. Wnd signaling also becomes activated when pre-synaptic proteins are over-expressed, suggesting the existence of a feedback circuit to match synaptic protein levels to the transport capacity of the axon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxing Li
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Yao V Zhang
- Junior Research Group Synaptic PlasticityHertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Graduate School of Cellular and Molecular NeuroscienceUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Elham Asghari Adib
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Doychin T Stanchev
- Junior Research Group Synaptic PlasticityHertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
- Graduate School of Cellular and Molecular NeuroscienceUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
| | - Xin Xiong
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Susan Klinedinst
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Pushpanjali Soppina
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Thomas Robert Jahn
- CHS Research Group Proteostasis in Neurodegenerative DiseaseDKFZ Deutsches KrebsforschungszentrumHeidelbergGermany
| | - Richard I Hume
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborUnited States
| | - Tobias M Rasse
- Junior Research Group Synaptic PlasticityHertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
- CHS Research Group Proteostasis in Neurodegenerative DiseaseDKFZ Deutsches KrebsforschungszentrumHeidelbergGermany
| | - Catherine A Collins
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborUnited States
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The redistribution of Drosophila vesicular monoamine transporter mutants from synaptic vesicles to large dense-core vesicles impairs amine-dependent behaviors. J Neurosci 2014; 34:6924-37. [PMID: 24828646 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0694-14.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Monoamine neurotransmitters are stored in both synaptic vesicles (SVs), which are required for release at the synapse, and large dense-core vesicles (LDCVs), which mediate extrasynaptic release. The contributions of each type of vesicular release to specific behaviors are not known. To address this issue, we generated mutations in the C-terminal trafficking domain of the Drosophila vesicular monoamine transporter (DVMAT), which is required for the vesicular storage of monoamines in both SVs and LDCVs. Deletion of the terminal 23 aa (DVMAT-Δ3) reduced the rate of endocytosis and localization of DVMAT to SVs, but supported localization to LDCVs. An alanine substitution mutation in a tyrosine-based motif (DVMAT-Y600A) also reduced sorting to SVs and showed an endocytic deficit specific to aminergic nerve terminals. Redistribution of DVMAT-Y600A from SV to LDCV fractions was also enhanced in aminergic neurons. To determine how these changes might affect behavior, we expressed DVMAT-Δ3 and DVMAT-Y600A in a dVMAT null genetic background that lacks endogenous dVMAT activity. When expressed ubiquitously, DVMAT-Δ3 showed a specific deficit in female fertility, whereas DVMAT-Y600A rescued behavior similarly to DVMAT-wt. In contrast, when expressed more specifically in octopaminergic neurons, both DVMAT-Δ3 and DVMAT-Y600A failed to rescue female fertility, and DVMAT-Y600A showed deficits in larval locomotion. DVMAT-Y600A also showed more severe dominant effects than either DVMAT-wt or DVMAT-Δ3. We propose that these behavioral deficits result from the redistribution of DVMAT from SVs to LDCVs. By extension, our data suggest that the balance of amine release from SVs versus that from LDCVs is critical for the function of some aminergic circuits.
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Drosophila melanogaster as a genetic model system to study neurotransmitter transporters. Neurochem Int 2014; 73:71-88. [PMID: 24704795 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2014.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2013] [Revised: 03/20/2014] [Accepted: 03/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The model genetic organism Drosophila melanogaster, commonly known as the fruit fly, uses many of the same neurotransmitters as mammals and very similar mechanisms of neurotransmitter storage, release and recycling. This system offers a variety of powerful molecular-genetic methods for the study of transporters, many of which would be difficult in mammalian models. We review here progress made using Drosophila to understand the function and regulation of neurotransmitter transporters and discuss future directions for its use.
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Lobo AC, Gomes JR, Catarino T, Mele M, Fernandez P, Inácio AR, Bahr BA, Santos AE, Wieloch T, Carvalho AL, Duarte CB. Cleavage of the vesicular glutamate transporters under excitotoxic conditions. Neurobiol Dis 2011; 44:292-303. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2011.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2011] [Revised: 06/21/2011] [Accepted: 07/11/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
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El Mestikawy S, Wallén-Mackenzie A, Fortin GM, Descarries L, Trudeau LE. From glutamate co-release to vesicular synergy: vesicular glutamate transporters. Nat Rev Neurosci 2011; 12:204-16. [PMID: 21415847 DOI: 10.1038/nrn2969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 272] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Recent data indicate that 'classical' neurotransmitters can also act as co-transmitters. This notion has been strengthened by the demonstration that three vesicular glutamate transporters (vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (VGLUT1), VGLUT2 and VGLUT3) are present in central monoamine, acetylcholine and GABA neurons, as well as in primarily glutamatergic neurons. Thus, intriguing questions are raised about the morphological and functional organization of neuronal systems endowed with such a dual signalling capacity. In addition to glutamate co-release, vesicular synergy - a process leading to enhanced packaging of the 'primary' transmitter - is increasingly recognized as a major property of the glutamatergic co-phenotype. The behavioural relevance of this co-phenotype is presently the focus of considerable interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salah El Mestikawy
- Institut National de Santé et de Recherche Médicale (INSERM), U952, Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 7224, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris 06, Pathophysiology of Central Nervous System Disorders, 9 quai Saint Bernard, 75005 Paris, France
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Daniels RW, Miller BR, DiAntonio A. Increased vesicular glutamate transporter expression causes excitotoxic neurodegeneration. Neurobiol Dis 2010; 41:415-20. [PMID: 20951206 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2010.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2010] [Revised: 09/03/2010] [Accepted: 10/07/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Increases in vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT) levels are observed after a variety of insults including hypoxic injury, stress, methamphetamine treatment, and in genetic seizure models. Such overexpression can cause an increase in the amount of glutamate released from each vesicle, but it is unknown whether this is sufficient to induce excitotoxic neurodegeneration. Here we show that overexpression of the Drosophila vesicular glutamate transporter (DVGLUT) leads to excess glutamate release, with some vesicles releasing several times the normal amount of glutamate. Increased DVGLUT expression also leads to an age-dependent loss of motor function and shortened lifespan, accompanied by a progressive neurodegeneration in the postsynaptic targets of the DVGLUT-overexpressing neurons. The early onset lethality, behavioral deficits, and neuronal pathology require overexpression of a functional DVGLUT transgene. Thus overexpression of DVGLUT is sufficient to generate excitotoxic neuropathological phenotypes and therefore reducing VGLUT levels after nervous system injury or stress may mitigate further damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard W Daniels
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
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