Drosophila Ten-m and filamin affect motor neuron growth cone guidance

PLoS One. 2011;6(8):e22956. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0022956. Epub 2011 Aug 8.

Abstract

The Drosophila Ten-m (also called Tenascin-major, or odd Oz (odz)) gene has been associated with a pair-rule phenotype. We identified and characterized new alleles of Drosophila Ten-m to establish that this gene is not responsible for segmentation defects but rather causes defects in motor neuron axon routing. In Ten-m mutants the inter-segmental nerve (ISN) often crosses segment boundaries and fasciculates with the ISN in the adjacent segment. Ten-m is expressed in the central nervous system and epidermal stripes during the stages when the growth cones of the neurons that form the ISN navigate to their targets. Over-expression of Ten-m in epidermal cells also leads to ISN misrouting. We also found that Filamin, an actin binding protein, physically interacts with the Ten-m protein. Mutations in cheerio, which encodes Filamin, cause defects in motor neuron axon routing like those of Ten-m. During embryonic development, the expression of Filamin and Ten-m partially overlap in ectodermal cells. These results suggest that Ten-m and Filamin in epidermal cells might together influence growth cone progression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified
  • Body Patterning / genetics
  • Contractile Proteins / genetics
  • Contractile Proteins / metabolism*
  • Drosophila Proteins / genetics
  • Drosophila Proteins / metabolism*
  • Drosophila melanogaster / embryology
  • Drosophila melanogaster / genetics
  • Drosophila melanogaster / metabolism
  • Ectoderm / cytology
  • Ectoderm / embryology
  • Ectoderm / metabolism
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian / embryology
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian / metabolism
  • Female
  • Filamins
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Growth Cones / metabolism*
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Male
  • Microfilament Proteins / genetics
  • Microfilament Proteins / metabolism*
  • Motor Neurons / metabolism
  • Mutation
  • Phenotype
  • Protein Binding
  • Tenascin / genetics
  • Tenascin / metabolism*
  • Two-Hybrid System Techniques

Substances

  • Contractile Proteins
  • Drosophila Proteins
  • Filamins
  • Microfilament Proteins
  • Ten-m protein, Drosophila
  • Tenascin
  • cher protein, Drosophila
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins