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The Drosophila immunoglobulin gene turtle encodes guidance molecules involved in axon pathfinding.

ABSTRACT: Neuronal growth cones follow specific pathways over long distances in order to reach their appropriate targets. Research over the past 15 years has yielded a large body of information concerning the molecules that regulate this process. Some of these molecules, such as the evolutionarily conserved netrin and slit proteins, are expressed in the embryonic midline, an area of extreme importance for early axon pathfinding decisions. A general model has emerged in which netrin attracts commissural axons towards the midline while slit forces them out. However, a large number of commissural axons successfully cross the midline even in the complete absence of netrin signaling, indicating the presence of a yet unidentified midline attractant.The evolutionarily conserved Ig proteins encoded by the turtle/Dasm1 genes are found in Drosophila, Caenorhabditis elegans, and mammals. In Drosophila the turtle gene encodes five proteins, two of which are diffusible, that are expressed in many areas, including the vicinity of the midline. Using both molecular null alleles and transgenic expression of the different isoforms, we show that the turtle encoded proteins function as non-cell autonomous axonal attractants that promote midline crossing via a netrin-independent mechanism. turtle mutants also have either stalled or missing axon projections, while overexpression of the different turtle isoforms produces invasive neurons and branching axons that do not respect the histological divisions of the nervous system.Our findings indicate that the turtle proteins function as axon guidance cues that promote midline attraction, axon branching, and axonal invasiveness. The latter two capabilities are required by migrating axons to explore densely packed targets.

SUBMITTER: Al-Anzi B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2739522 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The Drosophila immunoglobulin gene turtle encodes guidance molecules involved in axon pathfinding.

Al-Anzi Bader B Wyman Robert J RJ

Neural development 20090817

<h4>Background</h4>Neuronal growth cones follow specific pathways over long distances in order to reach their appropriate targets. Research over the past 15 years has yielded a large body of information concerning the molecules that regulate this process. Some of these molecules, such as the evolutionarily conserved netrin and slit proteins, are expressed in the embryonic midline, an area of extreme importance for early axon pathfinding decisions. A general model has emerged in which netrin attr ...[more]

PMID: 19686588

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Project description:During the development of the Drosophila central nervous system the process of midline crossing is orchestrated by a number of guidance receptors and ligands. Many key axon guidance molecules have been identified in both invertebrates and vertebrates, but the transcriptional regulation of growth cone guidance remains largely unknown. One open question is whether transcriptional regulation plays a role in midline crossing, or if local translation can account for the necessary fine tuning of protein levels. To investigate this issue, we conducted a genome wide analysis of transcription in Drosophila embryos using wild type and a number of well-characterized Drosophila guidance mutants and transgenics. We also analyzed a publicly available microarray time course of Drosophila embryonic development with an axon guidance focus. Using hopach, a novel clustering method which is well suited to microarray data analysis, we identified groups of genes with similar expression patterns across guidance mutants and transgenics. We then systematically characterized the resulting clusters with respect to their relevance to axon guidance using two complementary controlled vocabularies: the Gene Ontology (GO) and anatomical annotations of the Atlas of Pattern of Gene Expression (APoGE) in situ hybridization database. The analysis indicates that regulation of gene expression does play a role in the process of axon guidance in Drosophila. We also find a strong link between axon guidance and hemocyte migration, a result that agrees with mounting evidence that axon guidance molecules are co-opted in vertebrate vascularization. Cell cyclin activity in the context of axon guidance is also suggested from our array data. RNA and protein patterns of cell cyclin in axon guidance mutants and transgenics support this possible link. This study provides important insights into the regulation of axon guidance in vivo and suggests that transcription does play a role in control of axon guidance. Keywords: Mutant Analysis

Project description:The peripheral nervous system has an astonishing ability to regenerate following a compression or crush injury; however, the potential for full repair following a transection injury is much less. Currently, the major clinical challenge for peripheral nerve repair come from long gaps between the proximal and distal nerve stumps, which prevent regenerating axons reaching the distal nerve. Precise axon targeting during nervous system development is controlled by families of axon guidance molecules including Netrins, Slits, Ephrins and Semaphorins. Several recent studies have indicated key roles of Netrin1, Slit3 and EphrinB2 signalling in controlling the formation of new nerve bridge tissue and precise axon regeneration after peripheral nerve transection injury. Inside the nerve bridge, nerve fibroblasts express EphrinB2 while migrating Schwann cells express the receptor EphB2. EphrinB2/EphB2 signalling between nerve fibroblasts and migrating Schwann cells is required for Sox2 upregulation in Schwann cells and the formation of Schwann cell cords within the nerve bridge to allow directional axon growth to the distal nerve stump. Macrophages in the outermost layer of the nerve bridge express Slit3 while migrating Schwann cells and regenerating axons express the receptor Robo1; within Schwann cells, Robo1 expression is also Sox2-dependent. Slit3/Robo1 signalling is required to keep migrating Schwann cells and regenerating axons inside the nerve bridge. In addition to the Slit3/Robo1 signalling system, migrating Schwann cells also express Netrin1 and regenerating axons express the DCC receptor. It appears that migrating Schwann cells could also use Netrin1 as a guidance cue to direct regenerating axons across the peripheral nerve gap. Engineered neural tissues have been suggested as promising alternatives for the repair of large peripheral nerve gaps. Therefore, understanding the function of classic axon guidance molecules in nerve bridge formation and their roles in axon regeneration could be highly beneficial in developing engineered neural tissue for more effective peripheral nerve repair.

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Dataset Information

The Drosophila immunoglobulin gene turtle encodes guidance molecules involved in axon pathfinding.

Publications

The Drosophila immunoglobulin gene turtle encodes guidance molecules involved in axon pathfinding.

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