An age-related reduction of brain TBPH/TDP-43 levels precedes the onset of locomotion defects in a Drosophila ALS model

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease. The average age of onset of both sporadic and familial cases is 50-60 years of age. The presence of cytoplasmic inclusions of the RNA-binding protein TAR DNA-binding protein-43 (TDP-43) in the affected neurons is seen in 95% of the ALS cases, which results in TDP-43 nuclear clearance and loss of function. The Drosophila melanogaster ortholog of TDP-43 (TBPH) shares many characteristics with the human protein. Using a TDP-43 aggregation inducer previously developed in human cells, we created a transgenic fly that shows an adult locomotive defect. Phenotype onset correlates with a physiologically age-related drop of TDP-43/TBPH mRNA and protein levels, seen both in mice and flies. Artificial reduction of mRNA levels, in vivo, anticipates the locomotion defect to the larval stage. Our study links, for the first time, aggregation and the age-related, evolutionary conserved reduction of TDP-43/TBPH levels with the onset of an ALS-like locomotion defect in a Drosophila model. A similar process might trigger the human disease.

The ankyrin repeat protein Diego mediates Frizzled-dependent planar polarization

During planar polarization of the Drosophila wing epithelium, the homophilic adhesion molecule Flamingo localizes to proximal/distal cell boundaries in response to Frizzled signaling; perturbing Frizzled signaling alters Flamingo distribution, many cell diameters distant, by a mechanism that is not well understood. This work identifies a tissue polarity gene, diego, that comprises six ankyrin repeats and colocalizes with Flamingo at proximal/distal boundaries. Diego is specifically required for polarized accumulation of Flamingo and drives ectopic clustering of Flamingo when overexpressed. Our data suggest that Frizzled acts through Diego to promote local clustering of Flamingo, and that clustering of Diego and Flamingo in one cell nonautonomously propagates to others.

The Drosophila STE20-like kinase misshapen is required downstream of the Frizzled receptor in planar polarity signaling

The Drosophila misshapen (msn) gene is a member of the STE20 kinase family. We show that msn acts in the Frizzled (Fz) mediated epithelial planar polarity (EPP) signaling pathway in eyes and wings. Both msn loss- and gain-of-function result in defective ommatidial polarity and wing hair formation. Genetic and biochemical analyses indicate that msn acts downstream of fz and dishevelled (dsh) in the planar polarity pathway, and thus implicates an STE20-like kinase in Fz/Dsh-mediated signaling. This demonstrates that seven-pass transmembrane receptors can signal via members of the STE20 kinase family in higher eukaryotes. We also show that Msn acts in EPP signaling through the JNK (Jun-N-terminal kinase) module as it does in dorsal closure. Although at the level of Fz/Dsh there is no apparent redundancy in this pathway, the downstream effector JNK/MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) module is redundant in planar polarity generation. To address the nature of this redundancy, we provide evidence for an involvement of the related MAP kinases of the p38 subfamily in planar polarity signaling downstream of Msn.

MAP-1B/TAU functional redundancy during laminin-enhanced axonal growth

When cultured cerebellar macroneurons develop attached to a laminin-containing substrate or after the acute addition of laminin to the tissue culture medium, there is an acceleration in the rate and extent of axonal elongation. Furthermore, laminin is capable of inducing axonal formation and microtubule stabilization in neurons arrested at stage II of neuritic development by tau suppression (Caceres and Kosik, 1990; Caceres et al., 1991). Laminin-enhanced or induced axonal extension is paralleled by a selective and dramatic incorporation of phosphorylated MAP-1b into axonal microtubules. Axonal formation in neurons growing in the presence of laminin is prevented by treatment of the cultures with a mixture of MAP-1b and tau antisense oligonucleotides, but not by the single suppression of any one of these MAPs. However, suppression of MAP-1b, but not of tau, greatly reduces the increase in the rate and extent of axonal elongation induced by laminin. No such effects are elicited by MAP-1b antisense oligonucleotides in neurons growing in the absence of laminin, e.g. polylysine alone, where most of the MAP-1b present in the cells is dephosphorylated and not associated with the cytoskeleton. Taken collectively, these data suggest that, with regard to axonal elongation, MAP-1b and tau can be functionally substituted, and that extracellular matrix molecules, such as laminin, affect axonal extension by promoting the in vivo utilization of MAP-1b.

Kinesin-mediated organelle translocation revealed by specific cellular manipulations

The distribution of membrane-bound organelles was studied in cultured hippocampal neurons after antisense oligonucleotide suppression of the kinesin-heavy chain (KHC). We observed reduced 3,3'-dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide (DiOC6(3)) fluorescent staining in neurites and growth cones. In astrocytes, KHC suppression results in the disappearance of the DiOC6(3)-positive reticular network from the cell periphery, and a parallel accumulation of label within the cell center. On the other hand, mitochondria microtubules and microfilaments display a distribution that closely resembles that observed in control cells. KHC suppression of neurons and astrocytes completely inhibited the Brefeldin A-induced spreading and tubulation of the Golgi-associated structure enriched in mannose-6-phosphate receptors. In addition, KHC suppression prevents the low pH-induced anterograde redistribution of late endocytic structures. Taken collectively, these observations suggest that in living neurons, kinesin mediates the anterograde transport of tubulovesicular structures originated in the central vacuolar system (e.g., the endoplasmic reticulum) and that the regulation of kinesin-membrane interactions may be of key importance for determining the intracellular distribution of selected organelles.

Neurotrophin-3 enhances neurite outgrowth in cultured hippocampal pyramidal neurons

Low density dissociated cultures of embryonic rat hippocampal cells were used to study the effects of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) on neuronal morphogenesis. The results obtained indicate that NT-3 enhances neurite outgrowth and branching; this is a dose-dependent effect, detected in approximately 50% of the neurons, and prevented by K-252a, an inhibitor of the trk family of receptor protein kinases. NT-3 also accelerates the development of neuronal polarity, a phenomenon preceded by a dramatic accumulation of bundles of looped microtubules within axonal growth cones; these microtubule bundles contain tyrosinated, detyrosinated, and acetylated alpha-tubulin. Taken collectively, our data suggest that even though the basic shape of hippocampal neurons may be endogenously determined, critical aspects of their morphological development may be modulated by trophic factors such as NT-3. In addition, our observations suggest that at least some of the neuritogenic effects of NT-3 involve a stimulation of microtubule assembly and/or transport.

Microfilament-associated growth cone component depends upon Tau for its intracellular localization

We report here a novel intracellular localization and function of Tau proteins in cultured cerebellar neurons. Immunofluorescence staining of detergent-extracted cytoskeletons with antibodies specific for Tau proteins revealed intense labeling of growth cone microtubules. Besides, suppression of Tau by antisense oligonucleotide treatment results in the complete disappearance of antigen 13H9, a specific growth cone component with properties of microfilament- and microtubule-associated protein [Goslin et al., 1989: J. Cell Biol. 109:1621-1631], from its normal intracellular location. This phenomenon is unique to neurite-bearing cells, is not associated with the disappearance of microtubules from growth cones, and is not reversed by taxol, a microtubule-stabilizing agent. In addition, Tau-suppressed neurons display a significant reduction in growth cone area and fillopodial number; on the contrary, fillopodial length increases significantly. The alterations in growth cone morphology are accompanied by considerable changes in the phalloidin staining of assembled actin. Taken together, the present results suggest that in developing neurons Tau proteins participate in mediating interactions between elements of the growth cone cytoskeleton important for maintaining the normal structural organization of this neuritic domain.