Drosophila S6 Kinase like inhibits neuromuscular junction growth by downregulating the BMP receptor thickveins

PLoS Genetics
Guoli ZhaoYong Q Zhang

Abstract

Synaptic connections must be precisely controlled to ensure proper neural circuit formation. In Drosophila melanogaster, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) promotes growth of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) by binding and activating the BMP ligand receptors wishful thinking (Wit) and thickveins (Tkv) expressed in motor neurons. We report here that an evolutionally conserved, previously uncharacterized member of the S6 kinase (S6K) family S6K like (S6KL) acts as a negative regulator of BMP signaling. S6KL null mutants were viable and fertile but exhibited more satellite boutons, fewer and larger synaptic vesicles, larger spontaneous miniature excitatory junctional potential (mEJP) amplitudes, and reduced synaptic endocytosis at the NMJ terminals. Reducing the gene dose by half of tkv in S6KL mutant background reversed the NMJ overgrowth phenotype. The NMJ phenotypes of S6KL mutants were accompanied by an elevated level of Tkv protein and phosphorylated Mad, an effector of the BMP signaling pathway, in the nervous system. In addition, Tkv physically interacted with S6KL in cultured S2 cells. Furthermore, knockdown of S6KL enhanced Tkv expression, while S6KL overexpression downregulated Tkv in cultured S2 cells. This latter effect ...Continue Reading

References

Oct 1, 1976·The Journal of Physiology·L Y Jan, Y N Jan
Aug 1, 1994·Journal of Comparative Physiology. A, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology·B A StewartC F Wu
Sep 25, 1999·Science·J MontagneG Thomas
Sep 27, 2002·Genesis : the Journal of Genetics and Development·Hélène Barcelo, Mary J Stewart
Feb 4, 2003·Nature Reviews. Neuroscience·Mary PackardVivian Budnik
Nov 19, 2003·Neuron·Patrik VerstrekenHugo J Bellen
Mar 30, 2004·Neuron·Brian D McCabeA Pejmun Haghighi
Mar 21, 2006·Current Biology : CB·Dion K DickmanThomas L Schwarz
Jun 7, 2006·Cell Metabolism·Sung Hee UmGeorge Thomas
Jan 19, 2007·Current Opinion in Neurobiology·Catherine A Collins, Aaron DiAntonio
Feb 24, 2007·Current Opinion in Cell Biology·Susumu Itoh, Peter ten Dijke
Jul 11, 2007·The Journal of Cell Biology·Tong-Wey KohHugo J Bellen
Mar 29, 2008·Methods in Molecular Biology·Patrik VerstrekenHugo J Bellen
Aug 30, 2008·The Journal of Cell Biology·Marcin KowanetzAristidis Moustakas
Sep 30, 2009·The Journal of Cell Biology·Wei Shen, Barry Ganetzky
Jan 13, 2010·Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology·Nikolaos GiagtzoglouHugo J Bellen
Jun 1, 2010·Neuron·Yuly Fuentes-Medel, Vivian Budnik
Feb 1, 2011·Current Opinion in Genetics & Development·Jan Elizabeth Melom, J Troy Littleton
Apr 6, 2011·The Journal of Cell Biology·Avital A RodalJ Troy Littleton
May 28, 2013·Nature Neuroscience·Le XiaoRalf Schneggenburger
Jul 26, 2013·The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience·Wenwen ShiYong Q Zhang

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Apr 8, 2017·Current Opinion in Neurobiology·David Van Vactor, Stephan J Sigrist
Nov 17, 2016·Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology·Ulrike LaugksNicole Wagner
Feb 15, 2019·The Journal of Biological Chemistry·Ting GuoWanzhong Ge
Apr 20, 2019·Developmental Neurobiology·Stephen F PolitanoPamela J Vanderzalm
Jul 13, 2018·PLoS Genetics·Ken Honjo, W Daniel Tracey
Jun 4, 2021·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Mengying YangMargaret S Ho

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Methods Mentioned

BETA
two-hybrid
immunoprecipitation
transmission electron microscopy
PCR
ubiquitination
co-immunoprecipitation
nucleotide exchange
transgenic
genetrap

Software Mentioned

Adobe Photoshop
Clampfit
Image J
ImageJ

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Calcium & Bioenergetics

Bioenergetic processes, including cellular respiration and photosynthesis, concern the transformation of energy by cells. Here is the latest research on the role of calcium in bioenergetics.

Advanced Imaging of Cellular Signaling

Cell signaling is a vital mechanism for communication within cells and outside with the environment. Several different signaling pathways have been found and advanced imaging techniques are being developed to visualize the molecules involved in these signaling pathways. Find the latest research in advanced imaging of cellular signaling here.