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Role of Drosophila gene dunc-115 in nervous system

  • Original Paper
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Invertebrate Neuroscience

Abstract

Axonal guidance signals are transduced through growth cone surface receptors to the interior leading to changes of actin dynamics and actin binding proteins, which are critical in determining the outcome of actin cytoskeleton reorganization. We report here the characterization of the Drosophila actin binding protein abLIM/Unc-115 homolog Dunc-115 and its role in the nervous system. Three Dunc-115 isoforms are identified as Dunc-115L, M and S, respectively. While Dunc-115L is a canonical homolog of Unc-115 with four LIM domains and one villin headpiece domain, Dunc-115M and S are novel isoforms without counterparts in other species. Our molecular modeling shows Dunc-115L is likely to bind to actin. Mutant analysis reveals that Dunc-115 is involved in axonal projection in both the visual and central nervous system.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank John Root and the Bloomington fly center for stocks, Jessica Treisman and Peter Lipke for discussion, Anthony Bottalico, Irene Lampiri, Yinka Odefin and Christopher Roblodowski for assistance, and Victoria A. Hurchey for her strong support. M.C.G. was the recipient of a MAGNET Humana fellowship. This work was supported by grants from the NIH (EY10665) and PSC-CUNY to Q.H.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology Doctoral Program, The Graduate Center, Department of Biology, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11210, USA

    Melissa C. Garcia, Shaneen Singh & Qi He

  2. Department of Biology, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11210, USA

    Mohammed Abbasi

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  1. Melissa C. Garcia
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  2. Mohammed Abbasi
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Correspondence to Qi He.

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Garcia, M.C., Abbasi, M., Singh, S. et al. Role of Drosophila gene dunc-115 in nervous system. Invert Neurosci 7, 119–128 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10158-007-0047-1

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