Analysis of adhesion molecules and basement membrane contributions to synaptic adhesion at the Drosophila embryonic NMJ.

PloS One
Andre KoperAndreas Prokop

Abstract

Synapse formation and maintenance crucially underlie brain function in health and disease. Both processes are believed to depend on cell adhesion molecules (CAMs). Many different classes of CAMs localise to synapses, including cadherins, protocadherins, neuroligins, neurexins, integrins, and immunoglobulin adhesion proteins, and further contributions come from the extracellular matrix and its receptors. Most of these factors have been scrutinised by loss-of-function analyses in animal models. However, which adhesion factors establish the essential physical links across synaptic clefts and allow the assembly of synaptic machineries at the contact site in vivo is still unclear. To investigate these key questions, we have used the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) of Drosophila embryos as a genetically amenable model synapse. Our ultrastructural analyses of NMJs lacking different classes of CAMs revealed that loss of all neurexins, all classical cadherins or all glutamate receptors, as well as combinations between these or with a Laminin deficiency, failed to reveal structural phenotypes. These results are compatible with a view that these CAMs might have no structural role at this model synapse. However, we consider it far more likely...Continue Reading

References

Aug 1, 1993·Current Opinion in Genetics & Development·J B GurdonP Lemaire
Jun 24, 1999·Journal of Dermatological Science·M F Jonkman
Apr 19, 2000·Nature Neuroscience·S E AhmariS J Smith
May 29, 2000·European Journal of Biochemistry·M V FriedrichS Baumgartner
Nov 7, 2000·Current Opinion in Cell Biology·M Affolter, B Z Shilo
Feb 13, 2001·Journal of Molecular Biology·E HillJ Pettitt
Mar 20, 2001·Nature Reviews. Molecular Cell Biology·U TepassM Peifer
Dec 14, 2001·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·X MorinW Chia
Jan 11, 2002·Reviews in the Neurosciences·J Z Kiss, D Muller
Feb 28, 2002·Molecular and Cellular Biology·A Radu AricescuAndrew W Stoker
Mar 22, 2002·Molecular and Cellular Neurosciences·Youichi IwaiTadashi Uemura
May 1, 2002·The Journal of Cell Biology·Philipp NiethammerMelitta Schachner
Aug 31, 2002·Science·Thomas BiedererThomas C Südhof
Jun 11, 2003·Nature Neuroscience·Camin DeanPeter Scheiffele
Feb 1, 1960·The Journal of Experimental Zoology·T R WRIGHT
Feb 6, 2004·Current Biology : CB·Patrick SteigemannGerd Vorbrüggen
Apr 28, 2004·Developmental Biology·Barbara Küppers-MuntherAndreas Prokop
Jun 9, 2004·Current Biology : CB·Scott B Marrus, Aaron DiAntonio
Dec 3, 2004·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Joshua A WeinerJoshua R Sanes
Mar 25, 2005·The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience·Gang QinStephan J Sigrist
Jul 15, 2005·The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience·Kaiyun ChenDavid E Featherstone
Dec 13, 2005·Trends in Neurosciences·Camin Dean, Thomas Dresbach

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Feb 10, 2016·Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience·Charles KriegerNicholas Harden
Nov 2, 2014·Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences : CMLS·Evelyne Bloch-Gallego
Dec 17, 2016·Journal of Neurogenetics·Hong ZhanKate O'Connor-Giles
Apr 8, 2017·Journal of Cell Science·Jacob A RossFrancesco J Conti
Jun 5, 2013·Journal of Cell Science·Andreas ProkopNatalia Sánchez-Soriano

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Methods Mentioned

BETA
electron microscopy

Software Mentioned

Mys

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Cavernous Hemangioma

Cavernous hemangioma is a blood vessel defect or benign tumor that leads to leakage of blood to the surrounding tissues. This can occur in several organs including the brain, which can lead to seizures. Discover the latest research on cavernous hemangiomas here.

Cell Adhesion Molecules in AS

Cell adhesion molecules expressed on the vascular endothelium and circulating leukocytes in response to inflammatory stimuli are implicated in atherosclerosis. Here is the latest research.

Basement Membranes

Basement membranes are thin, specialized extracellular matrices surrounding most tissues in all metazoans. Here is the latest research on basement membranes.

Adhesion Molecules in Health and Disease

Cell adhesion molecules are a subset of cell adhesion proteins located on the cell surface involved in binding with other cells or with the extracellular matrix in the process called cell adhesion. In essence, cell adhesion molecules help cells stick to each other and to their surroundings. Cell adhesion is a crucial component in maintaining tissue structure and function. Discover the latest research on adhesion molecule and their role in health and disease here.

Cadherins and Catenins

Cadherins (named for "calcium-dependent adhesion") are a type of cell adhesion molecule (CAM) that is important in the formation of adherens junctions to bind cells with each other. Catenins are a family of proteins found in complexes with cadherin cell adhesion molecules of animal cells: alpha-catenin can bind to β-catenin and can also bind actin. β-catenin binds the cytoplasmic domain of some cadherins. Discover the latest research on cadherins and catenins here.

Adherens Junctions

An adherens junction is defined as a cell junction whose cytoplasmic face is linked to the actin cytoskeleton. They can appear as bands encircling the cell (zonula adherens) or as spots of attachment to the extracellular matrix (adhesion plaques). Adherens junctions uniquely disassemble in uterine epithelial cells to allow the blastocyst to penetrate between epithelial cells. Discover the latest research on adherens junctions here.

Brain developing: Influences & Outcomes

This feed focuses on influences that affect the developing brain including genetics, fetal development, prenatal care, and gene-environment interactions. Here is the latest research in this field.

Cell Adhesion Molecules in the Brain

Cell adhesion molecules found on cell surface help cells bind with other cells or the extracellular matrix to maintain structure and function. Here is the latest research on their role in the brain.