Integrins regulate repulsion-mediated dendritic patterning of drosophila sensory neurons by restricting dendrites in a 2D space

Identification of Ppk26, a DEG/ENaC Channel Functioning with Ppk1 in a Mutually Dependent Manner to Guide Locomotion Behavior in Drosophila

A major gap in our understanding of sensation is how a single sensory neuron can differentially respond to a multitude of different stimuli (polymodality), such as propio- or nocisensation. The prevailing hypothesis is that different stimuli are transduced through ion channels with diverse properties and subunit composition. In a screen for ion channel genes expressed in polymodal nociceptive neurons, we identified Ppk26, a member of the trimeric degenerin/epithelial sodium channel (DEG/ENaC) family, as being necessary for proper locomotion behavior in Drosophila larvae in a mutually dependent fashion with coexpressed Ppk1, another member of the same family. Mutants lacking Ppk1 and Ppk26 were defective in mechanical, but not thermal, nociception behavior. Mutants of Piezo, a channel involved in mechanical nociception in the same neurons, did not show a defect in locomotion, suggesting distinct molecular machinery for mediating locomotor feedback and mechanical nociception.

Identification of motor neurons and a mechanosensitive sensory neuron in the defecation circuitry of Drosophila larvae

Defecation allows the body to eliminate waste, an essential step in food processing for animal survival. In contrast to the extensive studies of feeding, its obligate counterpart, defecation, has received much less attention until recently. In this study, we report our characterizations of the defecation behavior of Drosophila larvae and its neural basis. Drosophila larvae display defecation cycles of stereotypic frequency, involving sequential contraction of hindgut and anal sphincter. The defecation behavior requires two groups of motor neurons that innervate hindgut and anal sphincter, respectively, and can excite gut muscles directly. These two groups of motor neurons fire sequentially with the same periodicity as the defecation behavior, as revealed by in vivo Ca(2+) imaging. Moreover, we identified a single mechanosensitive sensory neuron that innervates the anal slit and senses the opening of the intestine terminus. This anus sensory neuron relies on the TRP channel NOMPC but not on INACTIVE, NANCHUNG, or PIEZO for mechanotransduction.

Intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms of dendritic morphogenesis

The complex, branched morphology of dendrites is a cardinal feature of neurons and has been used as a criterion for cell type identification since the beginning of neurobiology. Regulated dendritic outgrowth and branching during development form the basis of receptive fields for neurons and are essential for the wiring of the nervous system. The cellular and molecular mechanisms of dendritic morphogenesis have been an intensely studied area. In this review, we summarize the major experimental systems that have contributed to our understandings of dendritic development as well as the intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms that instruct the neurons to form cell type-specific dendritic arbors.

The proprotein convertase KPC-1/furin controls branching and self-avoidance of sensory dendrites in Caenorhabditis elegans

Animals sample their environment through sensory neurons with often elaborately branched endings named dendritic arbors. In a genetic screen for genes involved in the development of the highly arborized somatosensory PVD neuron in C. elegans, we have identified mutations in kpc-1, which encodes the homolog of the proprotein convertase furin. We show that kpc-1/furin is necessary to promote the formation of higher order dendritic branches in PVD and to ensure self-avoidance of sister branches, but is likely not required during maintenance of dendritic arbors. A reporter for kpc-1/furin is expressed in neurons (including PVD) and kpc-1/furin can function cell-autonomously in PVD neurons to control patterning of dendritic arbors. Moreover, we show that kpc-1/furin also regulates the development of other neurons in all major neuronal classes in C. elegans, including aspects of branching and extension of neurites as well as cell positioning. Our data suggest that these developmental functions require proteolytic activity of KPC-1/furin. Recently, the skin-derived MNR-1/menorin and the neural cell adhesion molecule SAX-7/L1CAM have been shown to act as a tripartite complex with the leucine rich transmembrane receptor DMA-1 on PVD mechanosensory to orchestrate the patterning of dendritic branches. Genetic analyses show that kpc-1/furin functions in a pathway with MNR-1/menorin, SAX-7/L1CAM and DMA-1 to control dendritic branch formation and extension of PVD neurons. We propose that KPC-1/furin acts in concert with the ‘menorin’ pathway to control branching and growth of somatosensory dendrites in PVD.

Sensory neurons receive input from other neurons or sample their environment through elaborate structures termed dendritic trees. The correct patterning of dendritic trees is crucial for the proper function of the nervous system, and ample evidence points to the involvement of dendritic defects in a wide range of neuropsychiatric diseases. However, we still do not understand fully how this process is regulated at the molecular level. We discovered an important role for the protein-processing enzyme KPC-1/furin in the development of touch-sensitive dendritic trees in the roundworm C. elegans. Animals lacking this enzyme show multiple defects in the size, shape and number of these dendritic branches as well as other neurons. We further show that the gene encoding KPC-1 is expressed widely in the nervous system and that it is required within the branching neuron to exert its function on dendritic growth. Finally, we reveal a genetic connection between KPC-1 function and genes of the menorin pathway, which was recently discovered to also play an essential role in dendrite development. Thus, our findings add new insight into the molecular understanding of dendrite formation.

Loss of focal adhesions in glia disrupts both glial and photoreceptor axon migration in the Drosophila visual system

Many aspects of glial development are regulated by extracellular signals, including those from the extracellular matrix (ECM). Signals from the ECM are received by cell surface receptors, including the integrin family. Previously, we have shown that Drosophila integrins form adhesion complexes with Integrin-linked kinase and talin in the peripheral nerve glia and have conserved roles in glial sheath formation. However, integrin function in other aspects of glial development is unclear. The Drosophila eye imaginal disc (ED) and optic stalk (OS) complex is an excellent model with which to study glial migration, differentiation and glia-neuron interactions. We studied the roles of the integrin complexes in these glial developmental processes during OS/eye development. The common beta subunit βPS and two alpha subunits, αPS2 and αPS3, are located in puncta at both glia-glia and glia-ECM interfaces. Depletion of βPS integrin and talin by RNAi impaired the migration and distribution of glia within the OS resulting in morphological defects. Reduction of integrin or talin in the glia also disrupted photoreceptor axon outgrowth leading to axon stalling in the OS and ED. The neuronal defects were correlated with a disruption of the carpet glia tube paired with invasion of glia into the core of the OS and the formation of a glial cap. Our results suggest that integrin-mediated extracellular signals are important for multiple aspects of glial development and non-autonomously affect axonal migration during Drosophila eye development.

A primal analysis system of brain neurons data

It is a very challenging work to classify the 86 billions of neurons in the human brain. The most important step is to get the features of these neurons. In this paper, we present a primal system to analyze and extract features from brain neurons. First, we make analysis on the original data of neurons in which one neuron contains six parameters: room type, X, Y, Z coordinate range, total number of leaf nodes, and fuzzy volume of neurons. Then, we extract three important geometry features including rooms type, number of leaf nodes, and fuzzy volume. As application, we employ the feature database to fit the basic procedure of neuron growth. The result shows that the proposed system is effective.

The microRNA bantam regulates a developmental transition in epithelial cells that restricts sensory dendrite growth

As animals grow, many early born structures grow by cell expansion rather than cell addition; thus growth of distinct structures must be coordinated to maintain proportionality. This phenomenon is particularly widespread in the nervous system, with dendrite arbors of many neurons expanding in concert with their substrate to sustain connectivity and maintain receptive field coverage as animals grow. After rapidly growing to establish body wall coverage, dendrites of Drosophila class IV dendrite arborization (C4da) neurons grow synchronously with their substrate, the body wall epithelium, providing a system to study how proportionality is maintained during animal growth. Here, we show that the microRNA bantam (ban) ensures coordinated growth of C4da dendrites and the epithelium through regulation of epithelial endoreplication, a modified cell cycle that entails genome amplification without cell division. In Drosophila larvae, epithelial endoreplication leads to progressive changes in dendrite-extracellular matrix (ECM) and dendrite-epithelium contacts, coupling dendrite/substrate expansion and restricting dendrite growth beyond established boundaries. Moreover, changes in epithelial expression of cell adhesion molecules, including the beta-integrin myospheroid (mys), accompany this developmental transition. Finally, endoreplication and the accompanying changes in epithelial mys expression are required to constrain late-stage dendrite growth and structural plasticity. Hence, modulating epithelium-ECM attachment probably influences substrate permissivity for dendrite growth and contributes to the dendrite-substrate coupling that ensures proportional expansion of the two cell types.

Dendrite self-avoidance requires cell-autonomous slit/robo signaling in cerebellar purkinje cells

Dendrites from the same neuron usually develop nonoverlapping patterns by self-avoidance, a process requiring contact-dependent recognition and repulsion. Recent studies have implicated homophilic interactions of cell surface molecules, including Dscams and Pcdhgs, in self-recognition, but repulsive molecular mechanisms remain obscure. Here, we report a role for the secreted molecule Slit2 and its receptor Robo2 in self-avoidance of cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs). Both molecules are highly expressed by PCs, and their deletion leads to excessive dendrite self-crossing without affecting arbor size and shape. This cell-autonomous function is supported by the boundary-establishing activity of Slit in culture and the phenotype rescue by membrane-associated Slit2 activities. Furthermore, genetic studies show that they act independently from Pcdhg-mediated recognition. Finally, PC-specific deletion of Robo2 is associated with motor behavior alterations. Thus, our study uncovers a local repulsive mechanism required for self-avoidance and demonstrates the molecular complexity at the cell surface in dendritic patterning.

Development of the embryonic and larval peripheral nervous system of Drosophila

The peripheral nervous system (PNS) of embryonic and larval stage Drosophila consists of diverse types of sensory neurons positioned along the body wall. Sensory neurons, and associated end organs, show highly stereotyped locations and morphologies. Many powerful genetic tools for gene manipulation available in Drosophila make the PNS an advantageous system for elucidating basic principles of neural development. Studies of the Drosophila PNS have provided key insights into molecular mechanisms of cell fate specification, asymmetric cell division, and dendritic morphogenesis. A canonical lineage gives rise to sensory neurons and associated organs, and cells within this lineage are diversified through asymmetric cell divisions. Newly specified sensory neurons develop specific dendritic patterns, which are controlled by numerous factors including transcriptional regulators, interactions with neighboring neurons, and intracellular trafficking systems. In addition, sensory axons show modality specific terminations in the central nervous system, which are patterned by secreted ligands and their receptors expressed by sensory axons. Modality-specific axon projections are critical for coordinated larval behaviors. We review the molecular basis for PNS development and address some of the instances in which the mechanisms and molecules identified are conserved in vertebrate development.

Cysteine proteinase-1 and cut protein isoform control dendritic innervation of two distinct sensory fields by a single neuron

Dendrites often exhibit structural changes in response to local inputs. Although mechanisms that pattern and maintain dendritic arbors are becoming clearer, processes regulating regrowth, during context-dependent plasticity or after injury, remain poorly understood. We found that a class of Drosophila sensory neurons, through complete pruning and regeneration, can elaborate two distinct dendritic trees, innervating independent sensory fields. An expression screen identified Cysteome proteinase-1 (Cp1) as a critical regulator of this process. Unlike known ecdysone effectors, Cp1-mutant ddaC neurons pruned larval dendrites normally but failed to regrow adult dendrites. Cp1 expression was upregulated/concentrated in the nucleus during metamorphosis, controlling production of a truncated Cut homeodomain transcription factor. This truncated Cut, but not the full-length protein, allowed Cp1-mutant ddaC neurons to regenerate higher-order adult dendrites. These results identify a molecular pathway needed for dendrite regrowth after pruning, which allows the same neuron to innervate distinct sensory fields.

Probabilistic splicing of Dscam1 establishes identity at the level of single neurons

The Drosophila Dscam1 gene encodes a vast number of cell recognition molecules through alternative splicing. These exhibit isoform-specific homophilic binding and regulate self-avoidance, the tendency of neurites from the same cell to repel one another. Genetic experiments indicate that different cells must express different isoforms. How this is achieved is unknown, as expression of alternative exons in vivo has not been shown. Here, we modified the endogenous Dscam1 locus to generate splicing reporters for all variants of exon 4. We demonstrate that splicing does not occur in a cell-type-specific fashion, that cells sharing the same anatomical location in different individuals express different exon 4 variants, and that the splicing pattern in a given neuron can change over time. We conclude that splicing is probabilistic. This is compatible with a widespread role in neural circuit assembly through self-avoidance and is incompatible with models in which specific isoforms of Dscam1 mediate homophilic recognition between processes of different cells.

Cell-intrinsic drivers of dendrite morphogenesis

The proper formation and morphogenesis of dendrites is fundamental to the establishment of neural circuits in the brain. Following cell cycle exit and migration, neurons undergo organized stages of dendrite morphogenesis, which include dendritic arbor growth and elaboration followed by retraction and pruning. Although these developmental stages were characterized over a century ago, molecular regulators of dendrite morphogenesis have only recently been defined. In particular, studies in Drosophila and mammalian neurons have identified numerous cell-intrinsic drivers of dendrite morphogenesis that include transcriptional regulators, cytoskeletal and motor proteins, secretory and endocytic pathways, cell cycle-regulated ubiquitin ligases, and components of other signaling cascades. Here, we review cell-intrinsic drivers of dendrite patterning and discuss how the characterization of such crucial regulators advances our understanding of normal brain development and pathogenesis of diverse cognitive disorders.

Photoreceptor-derived activin promotes dendritic termination and restricts the receptive fields of first-order interneurons in Drosophila

How neurons form appropriately sized dendritic fields to encounter their presynaptic partners is poorly understood. The Drosophila medulla is organized in layers and columns and innervated by medulla neuron dendrites and photoreceptor axons. Here, we show that three types of medulla projection (Tm) neurons extend their dendrites in stereotyped directions and to distinct layers within a single column for processing retinotopic information. In contrast, the Dm8 amacrine neurons form a wide dendritic field to receive ∼16 R7 photoreceptor inputs. R7- and R8-derived Activin selectively restricts the dendritic fields of their respective postsynaptic partners, Dm8 and Tm20, to the size appropriate for their functions. Canonical Activin signaling promotes dendritic termination without affecting dendritic routing direction or layer. Tm20 neurons lacking Activin signaling expanded their dendritic fields and aberrantly synapsed with neighboring photoreceptors. We suggest that afferent-derived Activin regulates the dendritic field size of their postsynaptic partners to ensure appropriate synaptic partnership.

Epidermal cells are the primary phagocytes in the fragmentation and clearance of degenerating dendrites in Drosophila

During developmental remodeling, neurites destined for pruning often degenerate on-site. Physical injury also induces degeneration of neurites distal to the injury site. Prompt clearance of degenerating neurites is important for maintaining tissue homeostasis and preventing inflammatory responses. Here we show that in both dendrite pruning and dendrite injury of Drosophila sensory neurons, epidermal cells rather than hemocytes are the primary phagocytes in clearing degenerating dendrites. Epidermal cells act via Draper-mediated recognition to facilitate dendrite degeneration and to engulf and degrade degenerating dendrites. Using multiple dendritic membrane markers to trace phagocytosis, we show that two members of the CD36 family, croquemort (crq) and debris buster (dsb), act at distinct stages of phagosome maturation for dendrite clearance. Our finding reveals the physiological importance of coordination between neurons and their surrounding epidermis, for both dendrite fragmentation and clearance.

Multifaceted roles of Furry proteins in invertebrates and vertebrates

Furry (Fry) is a large protein that is evolutionarily conserved from yeast to human. Fry and its orthologues in invertebrates (termed Tao3p in budding yeast, Mor2p in fission yeast, Sax-2 in nematode and Fry in fruit fly) genetically and physically interact with nuclear Dbf2-related (NDR) kinases (termed Cbk1p in budding yeast, Orb6p in fission yeast, Sax-1 in nematode and Trc in fruitfly), and function as activators or scaffolds of these kinases. Fry-NDR kinase signals are implicated in the control of polarized cell growth and morphogenesis in yeast, neurite outgrowth in nematode, and epidermal morphogenesis and dendritic tiling in fruit fly. Recent studies revealed that mammalian Fry is a microtubule-associated protein that is involved in the control of chromosome alignment, spindle organization and Polo-like kinase-1 activation in mitosis, and promotes microtubule acetylation in mitotic spindles via inhibiting the tubulin deacetylase Sirtuin 2. Here, we review current knowledge about the diverse cellular functions and regulation of Fry proteins in invertebrates and vertebrates.

Skin-derived cues control arborization of sensory dendrites in Caenorhabditis elegans

Sensory dendrites depend on cues from their environment to pattern their growth and direct them toward their correct target tissues. Yet, little is known about dendrite-substrate interactions during dendrite morphogenesis. Here, we describe MNR-1/menorin, which is part of the conserved Fam151 family of proteins and is expressed in the skin to control the elaboration of "menorah"-like dendrites of mechanosensory neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans. We provide biochemical and genetic evidence that MNR-1 acts as a contact-dependent or short-range cue in concert with the neural cell adhesion molecule SAX-7/L1CAM in the skin and through the neuronal leucine-rich repeat transmembrane receptor DMA-1 on sensory dendrites. Our data describe an unknown pathway that provides spatial information from the skin substrate to pattern sensory dendrite development nonautonomously.

An extracellular adhesion molecule complex patterns dendritic branching and morphogenesis

Robust dendrite morphogenesis is a critical step in the development of reproducible neural circuits. However, little is known about the extracellular cues that pattern complex dendrite morphologies. In the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the sensory neuron PVD establishes stereotypical, highly branched dendrite morphology. Here, we report the identification of a tripartite ligand-receptor complex of membrane adhesion molecules that is both necessary and sufficient to instruct spatially restricted growth and branching of PVD dendrites. The ligand complex SAX-7/L1CAM and MNR-1 function at defined locations in the surrounding hypodermal tissue, whereas DMA-1 acts as the cognate receptor on PVD. Mutations in this complex lead to dramatic defects in the formation, stabilization, and organization of the dendritic arbor. Ectopic expression of SAX-7 and MNR-1 generates a predictable, unnaturally patterned dendritic tree in a DMA-1-dependent manner. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments indicate that all three molecules are needed for interaction.

Sensory-neuron subtype-specific transcriptional programs controlling dendrite morphogenesis: genome-wide analysis of Abrupt and Knot/Collier

The transcription factors Abrupt (Ab) and Knot (Kn) act as selectors of distinct dendritic arbor morphologies in two classes of Drosophila sensory neurons, termed class I and class IV, respectively. We performed binding-site mapping and transcriptional profiling of these isolated neurons. Their profiles were similarly enriched in cell-type-specific enhancers of genes implicated in neural development. We identified a total of 429 target genes, of which 56 were common to Ab and Kn; these targets included genes necessary to shape dendritic arbors in either or both of the two sensory subtypes. Furthermore, a common target gene, encoding the cell adhesion molecule Ten-m, was expressed more strongly in class I than class IV, and this differential was critical to the class-selective directional control of dendritic branch sprouting or extension. Our analyses illustrate how differentiating neurons employ distinct and shared repertoires of gene expression to produce class-selective morphological traits.

Larval defense against attack from parasitoid wasps requires nociceptive neurons

Parasitoid wasps are a fierce predator of Drosophila larvae. Female Leptopilina boulardi (LB) wasps use a sharp ovipositor to inject eggs into the bodies of Drosophila melanogaster larvae. The wasp then eats the Drosophila larva alive from the inside, and an adult wasp ecloses from the Drosophila pupal case instead of a fly. However, the Drosophila larvae are not defenseless as they may resist the attack of the wasps through somatosensory-triggered behavioral responses. Here we describe the full range of behaviors performed by the larval prey in immediate response to attacks by the wasps. Our results suggest that Drosophila larvae primarily sense the wasps using their mechanosensory systems. The range of behavioral responses included both “gentle touch” like responses as well as nociceptive responses. We found that the precise larval response depended on both the somatotopic location of the attack, and whether or not the larval cuticle was successfully penetrated during the course of the attack. Interestingly, nociceptive responses are more likely to be triggered by attacks in which the cuticle had been successfully penetrated by the wasp. Finally, we found that the class IV neurons, which are necessary for mechanical nociception, were also necessary for a nociceptive response to wasp attacks. Thus, the class IV neurons allow for a nociceptive behavioral response to a naturally occurring predator of Drosophila.

Sensory neuron fates are distinguished by a transcriptional switch that regulates dendrite branch stabilization

Sensory neurons adopt distinct morphologies and functional modalities to mediate responses to specific stimuli. Transcription factors and their downstream effectors orchestrate this outcome but are incompletely defined. Here, we show that different classes of mechanosensory neurons in C. elegans are distinguished by the combined action of the transcription factors MEC-3, AHR-1, and ZAG-1. Low levels of MEC-3 specify the elaborate branching pattern of PVD nociceptors, whereas high MEC-3 is correlated with the simple morphology of AVM and PVM touch neurons. AHR-1 specifies AVM touch neuron fate by elevating MEC-3 while simultaneously blocking expression of nociceptive genes such as the MEC-3 target, the claudin-like membrane protein HPO-30, that promotes the complex dendritic branching pattern of PVD. ZAG-1 exercises a parallel role to prevent PVM from adopting the PVD fate. The conserved dendritic branching function of the Drosophila AHR-1 homolog, Spineless, argues for similar pathways in mammals.

Golgi outposts shape dendrite morphology by functioning as sites of acentrosomal microtubule nucleation in neurons

Microtubule nucleation is essential for proper establishment and maintenance of axons and dendrites. Centrosomes, the primary site of nucleation in most cells, lose their function as microtubule organizing centers during neuronal development. How neurons generate acentrosomal microtubules remains unclear. Drosophila dendritic arborization (da) neurons lack centrosomes and therefore provide a model system to study acentrosomal microtubule nucleation. Here, we investigate the origin of microtubules within the elaborate dendritic arbor of class IV da neurons. Using a combination of in vivo and in vitro techniques, we find that Golgi outposts can directly nucleate microtubules throughout the arbor. This acentrosomal nucleation requires gamma-tubulin and CP309, the Drosophila homolog of AKAP450, and contributes to the complex microtubule organization within the arbor and dendrite branch growth and stability. Together, these results identify a direct mechanism for acentrosomal microtubule nucleation within neurons and reveal a function for Golgi outposts in this process.

High-resolution in vivo imaging of regenerating dendrites of Drosophila sensory neurons during metamorphosis: local filopodial degeneration and heterotypic dendrite-dendrite contacts

Neuronal circuits that are formed in early development are reorganized at later developmental stages to support a wide range of adult behaviors. At Drosophila pupal stages, one example of this reorganization is dendritic remodeling of multidendritic neurons, which is accomplished by pruning and subsequent regeneration of branches in environments quite distinct from those in larval life. Here, we used long-term in vivo time-lapse recordings at high spatiotemporal resolution and analyzed the dynamics of two adjacent cell types that remodel dendritic arbors, which eventually innervate the lateral plate of the adult abdomen. These neurons initially exhibited dynamic extension, withdrawal and local degeneration of filopodia that sprouted from all along the length of regenerating branches. At a midpupal stage, branches extending from the two cell types started fasciculating with each other, which prompted us to test the hypothesis that this heterotypic contact may serve as a guiding scaffold for shaping dendritic arbors. Unexpectedly, our cell ablation study gave only marginal effects on the branch length and the arbor shape. This result suggests that the arbor morphology of the adult neurons in this study can be specified mostly in the absence of the dendrite–dendrite contact.

The role of autophagy in Nmnat-mediated protection against hypoxia-induced dendrite degeneration

The selective degeneration of dendrites precedes neuronal cell death in hypoxia-ischemia (HI) and is a neuropathological hallmark of stroke. While it is clear that a number of different molecular pathways likely contribute to neuronal cell death in HI, the mechanisms that govern HI-induced dendrite degeneration are largely unknown. Here, we show that the NAD synthase nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase (Nmnat) functions endogenously to protect Drosophila class IV dendritic arborization (da) sensory neurons against hypoxia-induced dendritic damage. Whereas dendrites of wild-type class IV neurons are largely resistant to morphological changes during prolonged periods of hypoxia (<1.0% O(2)), class IV neurons of nmnat heterozygous mutants exhibit significant dendrite loss and extensive fragmentation of the dendritic arbor under the same hypoxic conditions. Although basal levels of autophagy are required for neuronal survival, we demonstrate that autophagy is dispensable for maintaining the dendritic integrity of class IV neurons. However, we find that genetically blocking autophagy can suppress hypoxia-induced dendrite degeneration of nmnat heterozygous mutants in a cell-autonomous manner, suggestive of a self-destructive role for autophagy in this context. We further show that inducing autophagy by overexpression of the autophagy-specific kinase Atg1 is sufficient to cause dendrite degeneration of class IV neurons under hypoxia and that overexpression of Nmnat fails to protect class IV dendrites from the effects of Atg1 overexpression. Our studies reveal an essential neuroprotective role for endogenous Nmnat in hypoxia and demonstrate that Nmnat functions upstream of autophagy to mitigate the damage incurred by dendrites in neurons under hypoxic stress.

Principles of branch dynamics governing shape characteristics of cerebellar Purkinje cell dendrites

Neurons develop dendritic arbors in cell type-specific patterns. Using growing Purkinje cells in culture as a model, we performed a long-term time-lapse observation of dendrite branch dynamics to understand the rules that govern the characteristic space-filling dendrites. We found that dendrite architecture was sculpted by a combination of reproducible dynamic processes, including constant tip elongation, stochastic terminal branching, and retraction triggered by contacts between growing dendrites. Inhibition of protein kinase C/protein kinase D signaling prevented branch retraction and significantly altered the characteristic morphology of long proximal segments. A computer simulation of dendrite branch dynamics using simple parameters from experimental measurements reproduced the time-dependent changes in the dendrite configuration in live Purkinje cells. Furthermore, perturbation analysis to parameters in silico validated the important contribution of dendritic retraction in the formation of the characteristic morphology. We present an approach using live imaging and computer simulations to clarify the fundamental mechanisms of dendrite patterning in the developing brain.

Dendritic filopodia, Ripped Pocket, NOMPC, and NMDARs contribute to the sense of touch in Drosophila larvae

BACKGROUND

Among the Aristotelian senses, the subcellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the sense of touch are the most poorly understood.

RESULTS

We demonstrate that specialized sensory neurons, the class II and class III multidendritic (md) neurons, are gentle touch sensors of Drosophila larvae. Genetic silencing of these cells significantly impairs gentle touch responses, optogenetic activation of these cells triggers behavioral touch-like responses, and optical recordings from these neurons show that they respond to force. The class III neurons possess highly dynamic dendritic protrusions rich in F-actin. Genetic manipulations that alter actin dynamics indicate that the actin-rich protrusions (termed sensory filopodia) on the class III neurons are required for behavioral sensitivity to gentle touch. Through a genome-wide RNAi screen of ion channels, we identified Ripped Pocket (rpk), No Mechanoreceptor Potential C (nompC), and NMDA Receptors 1 and 2 (Nmdars) as playing critical roles in both behavioral responses to touch and in the formation of the actin-rich sensory filopodia. Consistent with this requirement, reporters for rpk and nompC show expression in the class III neurons. A genetic null allele of rpk confirms its critical role in touch responses.

CONCLUSIONS

Output from class II and class III md neurons of the Drosophila larvae is necessary and sufficient for eliciting behavioral touch responses. These cells show physiological responses to force. Ion channels in several force-sensing gene families are required for behavioral sensitivity to touch and for the formation of the actin-rich sensory filopodia.

Cell adhesion in Drosophila: versatility of cadherin and integrin complexes during development

We highlight recent progress in understanding cadherin and integrin function in the model organism Drosophila. New functions for these adhesion receptors continue to be discovered in this system, emphasising the importance of cell adhesion within the developing organism and showing that the requirement for cell adhesion changes between cell types. New ways to control adhesion have been discovered, including controlling the expression and recruitment of adhesion components, their posttranslational modification, recycling and turnover. Importantly, even ubiquitous adhesion components can function differently in distinct cellular contexts.

DSCAMs: restoring balance to developmental forces

Many of the models of neurodevelopmental processes such as cell migration, axon outgrowth, and dendrite arborization involve cell adhesion and chemoattraction as critical physical or mechanical aspects of the mechanism. However, the prevention of adhesion or attraction is under-appreciated as a necessary, active process that balances these forces, insuring that the correct cells are present and adhering in the correct place at the correct time. The phenomenon of not adhering is often viewed as the passive alternative to adhesion, and in some cases this may be true. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that active signaling pathways are involved in preventing adhesion. These provide a balancing force during development that prevents overly exuberant adhesion, which would otherwise disrupt normal cellular and tissue morphogenesis. The strength of chemoattractive signals may be similarly modulated. Recent studies, described here, suggest that Down Syndrome Cell Adhesion Molecule (DSCAM), and closely related proteins such as DSCAML1, may play an important developmental role as such balancers in multiple systems.

Signaling mechanisms that coordinate the development and maintenance of dendritic fields

The establishment of a dendritic tree is a highly dynamic process characterized by extension and retraction of branches, followed by stabilization of existing dendrites and synaptic connections. To properly cover the receptive fields, all of these processes are tightly coordinated at all time points. Recent in vivo studies suggest that several signaling pathways, including Hippo pathway and epigenetic mechanisms, play important roles in maintenance of matured dendrites. This review focuses on the current molecular understanding of how established dendritic fields in functional neuronal circuits are maintained in the brain. The relevance of this knowledge to the pathological mechanisms underlying some neurodegenerative disorders is also discussed.

Chemical genetic identification of NDR1/2 kinase substrates AAK1 and Rabin8 Uncovers their roles in dendrite arborization and spine development

Dendrite arborization and synapse formation are essential for wiring the neural circuitry. The evolutionarily conserved NDR1/2 kinase pathway, important for polarized growth from yeast to mammals, controls dendrite growth and morphology in the worm and fly. The function of NDR1/2 in mammalian neurons and their downstream effectors were not known. Here we show that the expression of dominant negative (kinase-dead) NDR1/2 mutants or siRNA increase dendrite length and proximal branching of mammalian pyramidal neurons in cultures and in vivo, whereas the expression of constitutively active NDR1/2 has the opposite effect. Moreover, NDR1/2 contributes to dendritic spine development and excitatory synaptic function. We further employed chemical genetics and identified NDR1/2 substrates in the brain, including two proteins involved in intracellular vesicle trafficking: AAK1 (AP-2 associated kinase) and Rabin8, a GDP/GTP exchange factor (GEF) of Rab8 GTPase. We finally show that AAK1 contributes to dendrite growth regulation, and Rabin8 regulates spine development.

Dendritic patterning: three-dimensional position determines dendritic avoidance capability

Neurons develop mutually exclusive dendritic domains through self-avoidance and tiling mechanisms. Two recent studies establish that this process is dependent on the restriction of dendrites to a two-dimensional plane through interactions with the extracellular matrix.

Contact is repulsive, but please note the "enclosed"

Previous models of neuronal dendrite arborization suggested that contact-dependent self-avoidance between dendrite branches prevents self-crossings within the arbor. Two papers in Neuron show how integrin-mediated adhesion to the extracellular matrix restricts dendrites to a two-dimensional space to optimize this mechanism (Han et al., 2012; Kim et al., 2012).