1
|
Critchlow JT, Prakash A, Zhong KY, Tate AT. Mapping the functional form of the trade-off between infection resistance and reproductive fitness under dysregulated immune signaling. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012049. [PMID: 38408106 PMCID: PMC10919860 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune responses benefit organismal fitness by clearing parasites but also exact costs associated with immunopathology and energetic investment. Hosts manage these costs by tightly regulating the induction of immune signaling to curtail excessive responses and restore homeostasis. Despite the theoretical importance of turning off the immune response to mitigate these costs, experimentally connecting variation in the negative regulation of immune responses to organismal fitness remains a frontier in evolutionary immunology. In this study, we used a dose-response approach to manipulate the RNAi-mediated knockdown efficiency of cactus (IκBα), a central regulator of Toll pathway signal transduction in flour beetles (Tribolium castaneum). By titrating cactus activity across four distinct levels, we derived the shape of the relationship between immune response investment and traits associated with host fitness, including infection susceptibility, lifespan, fecundity, body mass, and gut homeostasis. Cactus knock-down increased the overall magnitude of inducible immune responses and delayed their resolution in a dsRNA dose-dependent manner, promoting survival and resistance following bacterial infection. However, these benefits were counterbalanced by dsRNA dose-dependent costs to lifespan, fecundity, body mass, and gut integrity. Our results allowed us to move beyond the qualitative identification of a trade-off between immune investment and fitness to actually derive its functional form. This approach paves the way to quantitatively compare the evolution and impact of distinct regulatory elements on life-history trade-offs and fitness, filling a crucial gap in our conceptual and theoretical models of immune signaling network evolution and the maintenance of natural variation in immune systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justin T Critchlow
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Arun Prakash
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Katherine Y Zhong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Ann T Tate
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Critchlow JT, Prakash A, Zhong KY, Tate AT. Mapping the functional form of the trade-off between infection resistance and reproductive fitness under dysregulated immune signaling. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.10.552815. [PMID: 37645726 PMCID: PMC10461925 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.10.552815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Immune responses benefit organismal fitness by clearing parasites but also exact costs associated with immunopathology and energetic investment. Hosts manage these costs by tightly regulating the induction of immune signaling to curtail excessive responses and restore homeostasis. Despite the theoretical importance of turning off the immune response to mitigate these costs, experimentally connecting variation in the negative regulation of immune responses to organismal fitness remains a frontier in evolutionary immunology. In this study, we used a dose-response approach to manipulate the RNAi-mediated knockdown efficiency of cactus (IκBα), a central regulator of Toll pathway signal transduction in flour beetles (Tribolium castaneum). By titrating cactus activity along a continuous gradient, we derived the shape of the relationship between immune response investment and traits associated with host fitness, including infection susceptibility, lifespan, fecundity, body mass, and gut homeostasis. Cactus knock-down increased the overall magintude of inducible immune responses and delayed their resolution in a dsRNA dose-dependent manner, promoting survival and resistance following bacterial infection. However, these benefits were counterbalanced by dsRNA dose-dependent costs to lifespan, fecundity, body mass, and gut integrity. Our results allowed us to move beyond the qualitative identification of a trade-off between immune investment and fitness to actually derive its functional form. This approach paves the way to quantitatively compare the evolution and impact of distinct regulatory elements on life-history trade-offs and fitness, filling a crucial gap in our conceptual and theoretical models of immune signaling network evolution and the maintenance of natural variation in immune systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justin T. Critchlow
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Arun Prakash
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Katherine Y. Zhong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Ann T. Tate
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zullo L, Bozzo M, Daya A, Di Clemente A, Mancini FP, Megighian A, Nesher N, Röttinger E, Shomrat T, Tiozzo S, Zullo A, Candiani S. The Diversity of Muscles and Their Regenerative Potential across Animals. Cells 2020; 9:cells9091925. [PMID: 32825163 PMCID: PMC7563492 DOI: 10.3390/cells9091925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cells with contractile functions are present in almost all metazoans, and so are the related processes of muscle homeostasis and regeneration. Regeneration itself is a complex process unevenly spread across metazoans that ranges from full-body regeneration to partial reconstruction of damaged organs or body tissues, including muscles. The cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in regenerative processes can be homologous, co-opted, and/or evolved independently. By comparing the mechanisms of muscle homeostasis and regeneration throughout the diversity of animal body-plans and life cycles, it is possible to identify conserved and divergent cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying muscle plasticity. In this review we aim at providing an overview of muscle regeneration studies in metazoans, highlighting the major regenerative strategies and molecular pathways involved. By gathering these findings, we wish to advocate a comparative and evolutionary approach to prompt a wider use of “non-canonical” animal models for molecular and even pharmacological studies in the field of muscle regeneration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Letizia Zullo
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Micro-BioRobotics & Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN), 16132 Genova, Italy;
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
- Correspondence: (L.Z.); (A.Z.)
| | - Matteo Bozzo
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 5, 16132 Genova, Italy; (M.B.); (S.C.)
| | - Alon Daya
- Faculty of Marine Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Michmoret 40297, Israel; (A.D.); (N.N.); (T.S.)
| | - Alessio Di Clemente
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Micro-BioRobotics & Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology (NSYN), 16132 Genova, Italy;
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV, 3, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | | | - Aram Megighian
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy;
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Nir Nesher
- Faculty of Marine Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Michmoret 40297, Israel; (A.D.); (N.N.); (T.S.)
| | - Eric Röttinger
- Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging (IRCAN), Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, INSERM, 06107 Nice, France;
| | - Tal Shomrat
- Faculty of Marine Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center, Michmoret 40297, Israel; (A.D.); (N.N.); (T.S.)
| | - Stefano Tiozzo
- Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement de Villefranche-sur-Mer (LBDV), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 06230 Paris, France;
| | - Alberto Zullo
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Sannio, 82100 Benevento, Italy;
- Correspondence: (L.Z.); (A.Z.)
| | - Simona Candiani
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 5, 16132 Genova, Italy; (M.B.); (S.C.)
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
TmCactin plays an important role in Gram-negative and -positive bacterial infection by regulating expression of 7 AMP genes in Tenebrio molitor. Sci Rep 2017; 7:46459. [PMID: 28418029 PMCID: PMC5394457 DOI: 10.1038/srep46459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cactin was originally identified as an interactor of the Drosophila IκB factor Cactus and shown to play a role in controlling embryonic polarity and regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway. While subsequent studies have identified the roles for Cactin in the mammalian immune response, the immune function of Cactin in insects has not been described yet. Here, we identified a Cactin gene from the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor (TmCactin) and characterized its functional role in innate immunity. TmCactin was highly expressed in prepupa to last instar stages, and its expression was high in the integument and Malpighian tubules of last instar larvae and adults. TmCactin was induced in larvae after infection with different pathogens and detectable within 3 hours of infection. The highest levels of TmCactin expression were detected at 9 hours post infection. TmCactin RNAi significantly decreased the survival rates of larvae after challenge with Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, but had no significant effect after challenge with Candida albicans. Furthermore, TmCactin RNAi significantly reduced the expression of seven antimicrobial peptide genes (AMPs) after bacterial challenge. Our results suggest that TmCactin may serve as an important regulator of innate immunity, mediating AMP responses against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in T. molitor.
Collapse
|
5
|
Buffolo M, Batista Possidonio AC, Mermelstein C, Araujo H. A conserved role for calpains during myoblast fusion. Genesis 2015; 53:417-30. [DOI: 10.1002/dvg.22870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2015] [Revised: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 06/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marcio Buffolo
- Laboratório de Diferenciação Muscular e Citoesqueleto, Instituto De Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal Do Rio De Janeiro; Rio De Janeiro Brazil
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular do Desenvolvimento, Instituto De Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal Do Rio De Janeiro; Rio De Janeiro Brazil
| | - Ana Claudia Batista Possidonio
- Laboratório de Diferenciação Muscular e Citoesqueleto, Instituto De Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal Do Rio De Janeiro; Rio De Janeiro Brazil
| | - Claudia Mermelstein
- Laboratório de Diferenciação Muscular e Citoesqueleto, Instituto De Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal Do Rio De Janeiro; Rio De Janeiro Brazil
| | - Helena Araujo
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular do Desenvolvimento, Instituto De Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal Do Rio De Janeiro; Rio De Janeiro Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zhou B, Lindsay SA, Wasserman SA. Alternative NF-κB Isoforms in the Drosophila Neuromuscular Junction and Brain. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0132793. [PMID: 26167685 PMCID: PMC4500392 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2015] [Accepted: 06/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The Drosophila NF-κB protein Dorsal is expressed at the larval neuromuscular junction, where its expression appears unrelated to known Dorsal functions in embryonic patterning and innate immunity. Using confocal microscopy with domain-specific antisera, we demonstrate that larval muscle expresses only the B isoform of Dorsal, which arises by intron retention. We find that Dorsal B interacts with and stabilizes Cactus at the neuromuscular junction, but exhibits Cactus independent localization and an absence of detectable nuclear translocation. We further find that the Dorsal-related immune factor Dif encodes a B isoform, reflecting a conservation of B domains across a range of insect NF-κB proteins. Carrying out mutagenesis of the Dif locus via a site-specific recombineering approach, we demonstrate that Dif B is the major, if not sole, Dif isoform in the mushroom bodies of the larval brain. The Dorsal and Dif B isoforms thus share a specific association with nervous system tissues as well as an alternative protein structure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zhou
- Section of Cell & Developmental Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Scott A. Lindsay
- Section of Cell & Developmental Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Steven A. Wasserman
- Section of Cell & Developmental Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Cantera R, Barrio R. Do the genes of the innate immune response contribute to neuroprotection in Drosophila? J Innate Immun 2014; 7:3-10. [PMID: 25115549 DOI: 10.1159/000365195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2014] [Accepted: 06/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A profound debate exists on the relationship between neurodegeneration and the innate immune response in humans. Although it is clear that such a relation exists, the causes and consequences of this complex association remain to be determined in detail. Drosophila is being used to investigate the mechanisms involved in neurodegeneration, and all genomic studies on this issue have generated gene catalogues enriched in genes of the innate immune response. We review the data reported in these publications and propose that the abundance of immune genes in studies of neurodegeneration reflects at least two phenomena: (i) some proteins have functions in both immune and nervous systems, and (ii) immune genes might also be of neuroprotective value in Drosophila. This review opens this debate in Drosophila, which could thus be used as an instrumental model to elucidate this question.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Cantera
- Zoology Department, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Salles A, Romano A, Freudenthal R. Synaptic NF-kappa B pathway in neuronal plasticity and memory. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 108:256-62. [PMID: 24854662 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphysparis.2014.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2014] [Revised: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 05/09/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Several transcription factors are present at the synapse, and among these are the Rel-NF-kappa B pathway components. NF-kappa B is a constitutive transcription factor, with a strong presence in the brain of which a considerable part is located in the neuropiles. This localization of the transcription factor, plus evidence pointing to different functions, is what gave place to two general hypotheses for synaptic NF-kappa B: (a) The transcription factor plays a role in the synapse to nucleus communication, and it is retrogradely transported from polarized localizations to regulate gene expression; (b) The transcription factor modulates the synaptic function locally. Evidence indicates that both mechanisms can operate simultaneously; here we will present different possibilities of these hypotheses that are supported by an increasing amount of data. We pay special attention to the local role of the transcription factor at the synapse, and based in the described evidence from different animal models, we propose several processes in which the transcription factor may change the synaptic strength.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angeles Salles
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología de la Memoria, FBMC, FCEyN, UBA, IFIBYNE, CONICET, 2°piso, pabellón II, Intendente Güiraldez 2160, Ciudad Universitaria, CP 1428, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Arturo Romano
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología de la Memoria, FBMC, FCEyN, UBA, IFIBYNE, CONICET, 2°piso, pabellón II, Intendente Güiraldez 2160, Ciudad Universitaria, CP 1428, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Ramiro Freudenthal
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología de la Memoria, FBMC, FCEyN, UBA, IFIBYNE, CONICET, 2°piso, pabellón II, Intendente Güiraldez 2160, Ciudad Universitaria, CP 1428, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Abstract
The vast majority of research on nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling in the past 25 years has focused on its roles in normal and disease-related processes in vertebrates, especially mice and humans. Recent genome and transcriptome sequencing efforts have shown that homologs of NF-κB transcription factors, inhibitor of NF-κB (IκB) proteins, and IκB kinases are present in a variety of invertebrates, including several in phyla simpler than Arthropoda, the phylum containing insects such Drosophila. Moreover, many invertebrates also contain genes encoding homologs of upstream signaling proteins in the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, which is well-known for its downstream activation of NF-κB for innate immunity. This review describes what we now know or can infer and speculate about the evolution of the core elements of NF-κB signaling as well as the biological processes controlled by NF-κB in invertebrates. Further research on NF-κB in invertebrates is likely to uncover information about the evolutionary origins of this key human signaling pathway and may have relevance to our management of the responses of ecologically and economically important organisms to environmental and adaptive pressures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D Gilmore
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Rahman M, Kylsten P. Rhomboid-7 over-expression results in Opa1-like processing and malfunctioning mitochondria. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2011; 414:315-20. [PMID: 21945938 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2011.09.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2011] [Accepted: 09/11/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Rhomboid-7 (rho-7) is a mitochondrial-specific intramembranous protease. The loss-of-function mutation rho-7 results in semi-lethality, while escapers have a reduced lifespan with several neurological disorders [1]. Here we show that general, or CNS-specific expression of rho-7 can rescue the lethality of rho-7. General, or CNS-specific over-expression of rho-7 in otherwise wild-type animals caused semi-lethality, with approximately 50% of the animals escaping this lethality, developing into adults displaying a shortened life span with larval locomotory problem. On a cellular level, over-expression resulted in severe depression of ATP levels and cytochrome c oxidase subunit II mRNA levels, a lowered number of mitochondria in neurons and aggregation of mitochondria in the brain indicating mitochondrial malfunction. Over-expression of rho-7 in developing eye discs resulted in an elevated apoptotic index. In the CNS, elevated levels of rho-7 were accompanied by both isoforms of Opa1-like, a dynamin-like GTPase, a mitochondrial component involved in regulating mitochondrial dynamics and function, including apoptosis. Most, but not all, of rho-7 over-expression phenotypes were suppressed by introducing a heterozygous mutation for Opa1-like. Our results suggest that rho-7 and Opa1-like function in a common molecular pathway affecting mitochondrial function and apoptosis in Drosophila melanogaster.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mokhlasur Rahman
- Department of Neuroscience, NA4202, MC9111, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9111, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Nazarian J, Berry DL, Sanjari S, Razvi M, Brown K, Hathout Y, Vertes A, Dadgar S, Hoffman EP. Evolution and comparative genomics of subcellular specializations: EST sequencing of Torpedo electric organ. Mar Genomics 2011; 4:33-40. [PMID: 21429463 DOI: 10.1016/j.margen.2010.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2010] [Revised: 12/09/2010] [Accepted: 12/13/2010] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Uncharacterized open reading frames (ORFs) in human genomic sequence often show a high degree of evolutionary conservation, yet have little or no tissue EST or protein data suggestive of protein product function. The encoded proteins may have highly restricted expression in specialized cells, subcellular specializations, and/or narrow windows during development. One such highly specialized and minute subcellular compartment is the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), where motorneurons contact muscle fibers. The electric Torpedo ray has evolved to expand the NMJ structure to the size of a large organ (electroplax organ), and we hypothesized that Torpedo electroplax proteins would be candidates for human ESTs expressed at the human NMJ. A total of 9719 primary electroplax cDNA clones were sequenced. We identified 44 human ORFs showing high (>63%) amino acid identity to Torpedo electroplax transcripts with enrichment for mRNA splicing motifs (SH2 and pre-mRNA splicing domains), an observation potentially important for the strict nuclear domains maintained by myonuclei underlying the NMJ. We generated antibodies against two uncharacterized human genes (C19orf29 [Drosophila cactin] and C15orf24) and showed that these were indeed expressed at the murine NMJ. Cactin, a member of the Rel transcription factor family in Drosophila, localized to the postsynaptic cytosol of the NMJ and nuclear membrane. C15orf24 protein localized to the murine postsynaptic sarcolemma. We show a novel approach towards identifying proteins expressed at a subcellular specialization using evolutionary diversity of organ function and cross-species mapping.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Javad Nazarian
- Research Center for Genetic Medicine, Children's National Medical Center, Department of Integrative Systems Biology, The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20010, United States
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Post-transcriptional silencing of the Drosophila homolog of human ZASP: a molecular and functional analysis. Cell Tissue Res 2009; 337:463-76. [PMID: 19603185 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-009-0813-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2008] [Accepted: 04/22/2009] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
In humans, mutations in ZASP (the gene for Z-band alternatively spliced PDZ-motif protein) are associated with dilated cardiomyopathy and left ventricular non-compaction. In particular, mutations in or around the Zasp motif seem to be related to myofibrillar myopathy. Thus, "zaspopathies" include symptoms such as Z-line disgregation, proximal and distal muscle weakness, cardiomyopathies, and peripheral neuropathies. In order to understand the role of ZASP in muscle structure and function, we have performed a molecular characterization of the Drosophila ortholog of human ZASP and a functional analysis following the post-transcriptional silencing of the Drosophila gene. Transcriptional analysis of dzasp has revealed six additional exons, with respect to the known 16, and multiple splice variants. We have produced transgenic lines harboring constructs that, through the use of the UAS/Gal4 binary system, have enabled us to drive dsRNA interference of dzasp in a tissue-specific manner. Knockdown individuals show locomotor defects associated with alterations of muscle structure and ultrastructure, consistent with a role of dzasp specifically in the maintenance of muscular integrity.
Collapse
|
13
|
Peron S, Zordan MA, Magnabosco A, Reggiani C, Megighian A. From action potential to contraction: neural control and excitation-contraction coupling in larval muscles of Drosophila. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2009; 154:173-83. [PMID: 19427393 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2009.04.626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2009] [Revised: 04/16/2009] [Accepted: 04/22/2009] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The neuromuscular system of Drosophila melanogaster has been studied for many years for its relative simplicity and because of the genetic and molecular versatilities. Three main types of striated muscles are present in this dipteran: fibrillar muscles, tubular muscles and supercontractile muscles. The visceral muscles in adult flies and the body wall segmental muscles in embryos and larvae belong to the group of supercontractile muscles. Larval body wall muscles have been the object of detailed studies as a model for neuromuscular junction function but have received much less attention with respect to their mechanical properties and to the control of contraction. In this review we wish to assess available information on the physiology of the Drosophila larval muscular system. Our aim is to establish whether this system has the requisites to be considered a good model in which to perform a functional characterization of Drosophila genes, with a known muscular expression, as well as Drosophila homologs of human genes, the dysfunction of which, is known to be associated with human hereditary muscle pathologies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Peron
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Padua, Italy
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Boersma MC, Meffert MK. Novel roles for the NF-kappaB signaling pathway in regulating neuronal function. Sci Signal 2008; 1:pe7. [PMID: 18272467 DOI: 10.1126/stke.16pe7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Two new reports offer exciting evidence of novel roles for components of the nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) pathway in the nervous system. Transcriptional activation by NF-kappaB and chromatin remodeling by inhibitor of kappaB (IkappaB) kinase complex (IKK) have been linked to recall and reconsolidation of conditioned fear memories in the mammalian central nervous system. In the Drosophila neuromuscular junction, a member of the NF-kappaB family has been reported to regulate glutamate receptor clustering. Both reports could have important implications for the function of the NF-kappaB signaling pathway in neuronal plasticity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matt C Boersma
- Departments of Biological Chemistry and Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Heckscher ES, Fetter RD, Marek KW, Albin SD, Davis GW. NF-kappaB, IkappaB, and IRAK control glutamate receptor density at the Drosophila NMJ. Neuron 2007; 55:859-73. [PMID: 17880891 PMCID: PMC2701504 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2007.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2007] [Revised: 06/04/2007] [Accepted: 08/07/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
NF-kappaB signaling has been implicated in neurodegenerative disease, epilepsy, and neuronal plasticity. However, the cellular and molecular activity of NF-kappaB signaling within the nervous system remains to be clearly defined. Here, we show that the NF-kappaB and IkappaB homologs Dorsal and Cactus surround postsynaptic glutamate receptor (GluR) clusters at the Drosophila NMJ. We then show that mutations in dorsal, cactus, and IRAK/pelle kinase specifically impair GluR levels, assayed immunohistochemically and electrophysiologically, without affecting NMJ growth, the size of the postsynaptic density, or homeostatic plasticity. Additional genetic experiments support the conclusion that cactus functions in concert with, rather than in opposition to, dorsal and pelle in this process. Finally, we provide evidence that Dorsal and Cactus act posttranscriptionally, outside the nucleus, to control GluR density. Based upon our data we speculate that Dorsal, Cactus, and Pelle could function together, locally at the postsynaptic density, to specify GluR levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth S Heckscher
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Programs in Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of California, San Francisco, 1550 4th Street, San Francisco, CA 94158-2822, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Muñoz-Alarcón A, Pavlovic M, Wismar J, Schmitt B, Eriksson M, Kylsten P, Dushay MS. Characterization of lamin mutation phenotypes in Drosophila and comparison to human laminopathies. PLoS One 2007; 2:e532. [PMID: 17565385 PMCID: PMC1885830 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0000532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2007] [Accepted: 05/18/2007] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Lamins are intermediate filament proteins that make up the nuclear lamina, a matrix underlying the nuclear membrane in all metazoan cells that is important for nuclear form and function. Vertebrate A-type lamins are expressed in differentiating cells, while B-type lamins are expressed ubiquitously. Drosophila has two lamin genes that are expressed in A- and B-type patterns, and it is assumed that similarly expressed lamins perform similar functions. However, Drosophila and vertebrate lamins are not orthologous, and their expression patterns evolved independently. It is therefore of interest to examine the effects of mutations in lamin genes. Mutations in the mammalian lamin A/C gene cause a range of diseases, collectively called laminopathies, that include muscular dystrophies and premature aging disorders. We compared the sequences of lamin genes from different species, and we have characterized larval and adult phenotypes in Drosophila bearing mutations in the lam gene that is expressed in the B-type pattern. Larvae move less and show subtle muscle defects, and surviving lam adults are flightless and walk like aged wild-type flies, suggesting that lam phenotypes might result from neuromuscular defects, premature aging, or both. The resemblance of Drosophila lam phenotypes to human laminopathies suggests that some lamin functions may be performed by differently expressed genes in flies and mammals. Such still-unknown functions thus would not be dependent on lamin gene expression pattern, suggesting the presence of other lamin functions that are expression dependent. Our results illustrate a complex interplay between lamin gene expression and function through evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Muñoz-Alarcón
- Department of Life Sciences, Södertörns högskola, Huddinge, Sweden
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maja Pavlovic
- Department of Life Sciences, Södertörns högskola, Huddinge, Sweden
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jasmine Wismar
- Max-Planck-Institut für Hirnforschung, Abteilung Neurochemie, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Bertram Schmitt
- Max-Planck-Institut für Hirnforschung, Abteilung Neurochemie, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Maria Eriksson
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Per Kylsten
- Department of Life Sciences, Södertörns högskola, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Mitchell S. Dushay
- Department of Life Sciences, Södertörns högskola, Huddinge, Sweden
- Department of Comparative Physiology, EBC, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- * To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Beramendi A, Peron S, Casanova G, Reggiani C, Cantera R. Neuromuscular junction in abdominal muscles ofDrosophila melanogasterduring adulthood and aging. J Comp Neurol 2007; 501:498-508. [PMID: 17278125 DOI: 10.1002/cne.21253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) of Drosophila melanogaster has been established as a productive model for the study of synaptogenesis, synaptic plasticity, vesicle recycling, and other synaptic functions in embryos and larvae. It also has potential for the study of long-term plasticity during adult life and degenerative processes associated with aging. Here we provide a detailed description of the morphology and ultrastructure of the NMJ on abdominal dorsal longitudinal muscles throughout adult life from eclosion to senescence. In contrast to the case in the larva, the predominant type of terminals in these muscles in the adult fly consists of only two or three branches with tightly packed synaptic boutons. We observed qualitative and quantitative changes as mean bouton size increased gradually during adulthood, and the largest boutons were present in the old fly. The length of nerve branches first increased and thereafter decreased gradually during most of adult life. Branch diameter also decreased progressively, but branch number did not change. The subsynaptic reticulum became progressively thinner, and "naked" boutons were found in old flies. Ultrastructural traits gave indications of an age-associated increment in autophagy, larger synaptic vesicles, and impaired endocytosis. We propose that NMJ aging in the fly correlates with impaired endocytosis and membrane dynamics. This view finds a functional correlate in flies carrying a temperature-sensitive mutation in shibire that reversible blocks endocytosis; age significantly reduces the time required for complete paralysis and increases the time of recovery, thus confirming the age-dependent alteration in vesicle dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Beramendi
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, S-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden 35131
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Koizumi K, Higashida H, Yoo S, Islam MS, Ivanov AI, Guo V, Pozzi P, Yu SH, Rovescalli AC, Tang D, Nirenberg M. RNA interference screen to identify genes required for Drosophila embryonic nervous system development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2007; 104:5626-31. [PMID: 17376868 PMCID: PMC1838491 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0611687104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) has been shown to be a powerful method to study the function of genes in vivo by silencing endogenous mRNA with double-stranded (ds) RNA. Previously, we performed in vivo RNAi screening and identified 43 Drosophila genes, including 18 novel genes required for the development of the embryonic nervous system. In the present study, 22 additional genes affecting embryonic nervous system development were found. Novel RNAi-induced phenotypes affecting nervous system development were found for 16 of the 22 genes. Seven of the genes have unknown functions. Other genes found encode transcription factors, a chromatin-remodeling protein, membrane receptors, signaling molecules, and proteins involved in cell adhesion, RNA binding, and ion transport. Human orthologs were identified for proteins encoded by 16 of the genes. The total number of dsRNAs that we have tested for an RNAi-induced phenotype affecting the embryonic nervous system, including our previous study, is 7,312, which corresponds to approximately 50% of the genes in the Drosophila genome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Keita Koizumi
- *Kanazawa University, 21st Century Centers of Excellence Program on Innovative Brain Science on Development, Learning, and Memory, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
- Advanced Science Research Center, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Haruhiro Higashida
- *Kanazawa University, 21st Century Centers of Excellence Program on Innovative Brain Science on Development, Learning, and Memory, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
- Department of Biophysical Genetics, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan; and
| | - Siuk Yoo
- Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Mohamad Saharul Islam
- *Kanazawa University, 21st Century Centers of Excellence Program on Innovative Brain Science on Development, Learning, and Memory, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan
- Department of Biophysical Genetics, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan; and
| | - Andrej I. Ivanov
- Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Vicky Guo
- Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Paola Pozzi
- Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Shu-Hua Yu
- Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Alessandra C. Rovescalli
- Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Derek Tang
- Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Marshall Nirenberg
- Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Abstract
The nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) pathways in Drosophila are multi-component pathways, as in vertebrates, that regulate the expression of many genes responsible for the formation of dorsal-ventral polarity in the early embryo, the innate immune response to infection with Gram- negative and positive bacteria and fungi, the cellular immune response and hematopoiesis. Overactivation of the fly pathway can result in developmental defects, overproliferation of hemocytes and the formation of melanotic tumors or nodules. The extracellular events leading to the maturation of the ligand for initiation of the Drosophila NF-kappaB pathway is not conserved between flies and vertebrates, but the Toll receptor and downstream events are remarkably similar. NF-kappaB proteins have been identified in mollusks, and arthropods such as horseshoe crabs and beetles, indicating that this pathway has been established more than 500 million years ago. The fly NF-kappaB pathways are less complex than those in vertebrates, with the involvement of fewer proteins, but they are, nonetheless, just as important as their vertebrate counterparts for the life of the fly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Minakhina
- Waksman Institute, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Abstract
Mutations in >30 genes that regulate different pathways and developmental processes are reported to cause a melanotic phenotype in larvae. The observed melanotic masses were generally linked to the hemocyte-mediated immune response. To investigate whether all black masses are associated with the cellular immune response, we characterized melanotic masses from mutants in 14 genes. We found that the melanotic masses can be subdivided into melanotic nodules engaging the hemocyte-mediated encapsulation and into melanizations that are not encapsulated by hemocytes. With rare exception, the encapsulation is carried out by lamellocytes. Encapsulated nodules are found in the hemocoel or in association with the lymph gland, while melanizations are located in the gut, salivary gland, and tracheae. In cactus mutants we found an additional kind of melanized mass containing various tissues. The development of these tissue agglomerates is dependent on the function of the dorsal gene. Our results show that the phenotype of each mutant not only reflects its connection to a particular genetic pathway but also points to the tissue-specific role of the individual gene.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana Minakhina
- Waksman Institute, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854-8020, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Zordan MA, Cisotto P, Benna C, Agostino A, Rizzo G, Piccin A, Pegoraro M, Sandrelli F, Perini G, Tognon G, De Caro R, Peron S, Kronniè TT, Megighian A, Reggiani C, Zeviani M, Costa R. Post-transcriptional silencing and functional characterization of the Drosophila melanogaster homolog of human Surf1. Genetics 2005; 172:229-41. [PMID: 16172499 PMCID: PMC1456150 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.105.049072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in Surf1, a human gene involved in the assembly of cytochrome c oxidase (COX), cause Leigh syndrome, the most common infantile mitochondrial encephalopathy, characterized by a specific COX deficiency. We report the generation and characterization of functional knockdown (KD) lines for Surf1 in Drosophila. KD was produced by post-transcriptional silencing employing a transgene encoding a dsRNA fragment of the Drosophila homolog of human Surf1, activated by the UAS transcriptional activator. Two alternative drivers, Actin5C-GAL4 or elav-GAL4, were used to induce silencing ubiquitously or in the CNS, respectively. Actin5C-GAL4 KD produced 100% egg-to-adult lethality. Most individuals died as larvae, which were sluggish and small. The few larvae reaching the pupal stage died as early imagos. Electron microscopy of larval muscles showed severely altered mitochondria. elav-GAL4-driven KD individuals developed to adulthood, although cephalic sections revealed low COX-specific activity. Behavioral and electrophysiological abnormalities were detected, including reduced photoresponsiveness in KD larvae using either driver, reduced locomotor speed in Actin5C-GAL4 KD larvae, and impaired optomotor response as well as abnormal electroretinograms in elav-GAL4 KD flies. These results indicate important functions for SURF1 specifically related to COX activity and suggest a crucial role of mitochondrial energy pathways in organogenesis and CNS development and function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mauro A Zordan
- CNR Institute of Biomedical Technology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|