Lifespan regulation in α/β posterior neurons of the fly mushroom bodies by Rab27

A missense mutation in human INSC causes peripheral neuropathy

PAR3/INSC/LGN form an evolutionarily conserved complex required for asymmetric cell division in the developing brain, but its post-developmental function and disease relevance in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) remains unknown. We mapped a new locus for axonal Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT2) and identified a missense mutation c.209 T > G (p.Met70Arg) in the INSC gene. Modeling the INSCM70R variant in Drosophila, we showed that it caused proprioceptive defects in adult flies, leading to gait defects resembling those in CMT2 patients. Cellularly, PAR3/INSC/LGN dysfunction caused tubulin aggregation and necrotic neurodegeneration, with microtubule-stabilizing agents rescuing both morphological and functional defects of the INSCM70R mutation in the PNS. Our findings underscore the critical role of the PAR3/INSC/LGN machinery in the adult PNS and highlight a potential therapeutic target for INSC-associated CMT2.

Modelling TDP-43 proteinopathy in Drosophila uncovers shared and neuron-specific targets across ALS and FTD relevant circuits

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) comprise a spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases linked to TDP-43 proteinopathy, which at the cellular level, is characterized by loss of nuclear TDP-43 and accumulation of cytoplasmic TDP-43 inclusions that ultimately cause RNA processing defects including dysregulation of splicing, mRNA transport and translation. Complementing our previous work in motor neurons, here we report a novel model of TDP-43 proteinopathy based on overexpression of TDP-43 in a subset of Drosophila Kenyon cells of the mushroom body (MB), a circuit with structural characteristics reminiscent of vertebrate cortical networks. This model recapitulates several aspects of dementia-relevant pathological features including age-dependent neuronal loss, nuclear depletion and cytoplasmic accumulation of TDP-43, and behavioral deficits in working memory and sleep that occur prior to axonal degeneration. RNA immunoprecipitations identify several candidate mRNA targets of TDP-43 in MBs, some of which are unique to the MB circuit and others that are shared with motor neurons. Among the latter is the glypican Dally-like-protein (Dlp), which exhibits significant TDP-43 associated reduction in expression during aging. Using genetic interactions we show that overexpression of Dlp in MBs mitigates TDP-43 dependent working memory deficits, conistent with Dlp acting as a mediator of TDP-43 toxicity. Substantiating our findings in the fly model, we find that the expression of GPC6 mRNA, a human ortholog of dlp, is specifically altered in neurons exhibiting the molecular signature of TDP-43 pathology in FTD patient brains. These findings suggest that circuit-specific Drosophila models provide a platform for uncovering shared or disease-specific molecular mechanisms and vulnerabilities across the spectrum of TDP-43 proteinopathies.

Transcriptional Genetically Encoded Calcium Indicators in Drosophila

Knowing which neurons are active during behavior is a crucial step toward understanding how nervous systems work. Neuronal activation is generally accompanied by an increase in intracellular calcium levels. Therefore, intracellular calcium levels are widely used as a proxy for neuronal activity. Many types of synthetic components and bioluminescent or fluorescent proteins that report transient and long-term changes in intracellular calcium levels have been developed over the past 60 years. Calcium indicators that enable imaging of the dynamic activity of a large ensemble of neurons in behaving animals have revolutionized the field of neuroscience. Among these, transcription-based genetically encoded calcium indicators (transcriptional GECIs) have proven easy to use and do not depend on sophisticated imaging systems, offering unique advantages over other types of calcium indicators. Here, we describe the two currently available fly transcriptional GECIs-calcium-dependent nuclear import of LexA (CaLexA) and transcriptional reporter of intracellular calcium (TRIC)-and review studies that have used them. In the accompanying protocol, we present step-by-step details for generating CaLexA- and TRIC-ready flies and for imaging CaLexA and TRIC signals in dissected brains after experimental manipulations of intact free-moving flies.

UQCRC1 engages cytochrome c for neuronal apoptotic cell death

Human ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase core protein 1 (UQCRC1) is an evolutionarily conserved core subunit of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex III. We recently identified the disease-associated variants of UQCRC1 from patients with familial parkinsonism, but its function remains unclear. Here we investigate the endogenous function of UQCRC1 in the human neuronal cell line and the Drosophila nervous system. Flies with neuronal knockdown of uqcrc1 exhibit age-dependent parkinsonism-resembling defects, including dopaminergic neuron reduction and locomotor decline, and are ameliorated by UQCRC1 expression. Lethality of uqcrc1-KO is also rescued by neuronally expressing UQCRC1, but not the disease-causing variant, providing a platform to discern the pathogenicity of this mutation. Furthermore, UQCRC1 associates with the apoptosis trigger cytochrome c (cyt-c), and uqcrc1 deficiency increases cyt-c in the cytoplasmic fraction and activates the caspase cascade. Depleting cyt-c or expression of the anti-apoptotic p35 ameliorates uqcrc1-mediated neurodegeneration. Our findings identify a role for UQCRC1 in regulating cyt-c-induced apoptosis.

Systematic functional analysis of rab GTPases reveals limits of neuronal robustness to environmental challenges in flies

Rab GTPases are molecular switches that regulate membrane trafficking in all cells. Neurons have particular demands on membrane trafficking and express numerous Rab GTPases of unknown function. Here, we report the generation and characterization of molecularly defined null mutants for all 26 rab genes in Drosophila. In flies, all rab genes are expressed in the nervous system where at least half exhibit particularly high levels compared to other tissues. Surprisingly, loss of any of these 13 nervous system-enriched Rabs yielded viable and fertile flies without obvious morphological defects. However, all 13 mutants differentially affected development when challenged with different temperatures, or neuronal function when challenged with continuous stimulation. We identified a synaptic maintenance defect following continuous stimulation for six mutants, including an autophagy-independent role of rab26. The complete mutant collection generated in this study provides a basis for further comprehensive studies of Rab GTPases during development and function in vivo.

Lifespan regulation in α/β posterior neurons of the fly mushroom bodies by Rab27

Brain function has been implicated to control the aging process and modulate lifespan. However, continuous efforts remain for the identification of the minimal sufficient brain region and the underlying mechanism for neuronal regulation of longevity. Here, we show that the Drosophila lifespan is modulated by rab27 functioning in a small subset of neurons of the mushroom bodies (MB), a brain structure that shares analogous functions with mammalian hippocampus and hypothalamus. Depleting rab27 in the α/βp neurons of the MB is sufficient to extend lifespan, enhance systemic stress responses, and alter energy homeostasis, all without trade‐offs in major life functions. Within the α/βp neurons, rab27KO causes the mislocalization of phosphorylated S6K thus attenuates TOR signaling, resulting in decreased protein synthesis and reduced neuronal activity. Consistently, expression of dominant‐negative S6K in the α/βp neurons increases lifespan. Furthermore, the expression of phospho‐mimetic S6 in α/βp neurons of rab27KO rescued local protein synthesis and reversed lifespan extension. These findings demonstrate that inhibiting TOR‐mediated protein synthesis in α/βp neurons is sufficient to promote longevity.