Drosophila Ten-m and filamin affect motor neuron growth cone guidance

• Published in: PloS one 2011-08, Vol.6 (8), p.e22956-e22956
• Main Authors: Zheng, Lihua, Michelson, Yehudit, Freger, Vita, Avraham, Ziva, Venken, Koen J T, Bellen, Hugo J, Justice, Monica J, Wides, Ron
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Actin; Animals; Animals, Genetically Modified; Axon guidance; Biology; Body Patterning - genetics; Central nervous system; Cones; Contractile Proteins - genetics; Contractile Proteins - metabolism; Defects; Drosophila; Drosophila melanogaster - embryology; Drosophila melanogaster - genetics; Drosophila melanogaster - metabolism; Drosophila Proteins - genetics; Drosophila Proteins - metabolism; Ectoderm - cytology; Ectoderm - embryology; Ectoderm - metabolism; Embryo, Nonmammalian - embryology; Embryo, Nonmammalian - metabolism; Embryogenesis; Embryonic development; Embryonic growth stage; Female; Filamins; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Genes; Genetic aspects; Genetics; Green Fluorescent Proteins - genetics; Green Fluorescent Proteins - metabolism; Growth; Growth cones; Growth Cones - metabolism; Immunohistochemistry; Insects; Life sciences; M protein; Male; Medicine; Microfilament Proteins - genetics; Microfilament Proteins - metabolism; Motor Neurons - metabolism; Mutants; Mutation; Neurons; Overexpression; Phenotype; Phenotypes; Protein Binding; Proteins; Rodents; Routing; Segmentation; Tenascin; Tenascin - genetics; Tenascin - metabolism; Transcription factors; Trends; Two-Hybrid System Techniques; Vertebrates
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0022956

The Drosophila Ten-m (also called Tenascin-major, or odd Oz (odz)) gene has been associated with a pair-rule phenotype. We identified and characterized new alleles of Drosophila Ten-m to establish that this gene is not responsible for segmentation defects but rather causes defects in motor neuron axon routing. In Ten-m mutants the inter-segmental nerve (ISN) often crosses segment boundaries and fasciculates with the ISN in the adjacent segment. Ten-m is expressed in the central nervous system and epidermal stripes during the stages when the growth cones of the neurons that form the ISN navigate to their targets. Over-expression of Ten-m in epidermal cells also leads to ISN misrouting. We also found that Filamin, an actin binding protein, physically interacts with the Ten-m protein. Mutations in cheerio, which encodes Filamin, cause defects in motor neuron axon routing like those of Ten-m. During embryonic development, the expression of Filamin and Ten-m partially overlap in ectodermal cells. These results suggest that Ten-m and Filamin in epidermal cells might together influence growth cone progression.