Stereotyped terminal axon branching of leg motor neurons mediated by IgSF proteins DIP-α and Dpr10.
Venkatasubramanian. Lalanti L; Guo. Zhenhao Z; Xu. Shuwa S; Tan. Liming L; Xiao. Qi Q; Nagarkar-Jaiswal. Sonal S; Mann. Richard S RS
Key Findings
- The interaction between DIP‑α (on motor neurons) and Dpr10 (on muscles) is required for the precise branching of leg motor neuron terminals.
- This interaction only matters after the neuron axons have reached the vicinity of their target muscles.
- Different motor neurons rely on the DIP‑α/Dpr10 interaction to different extents, linked to how complex their shapes and muscle targets are.
Practical Outcomes
- For biohackers or longevity enthusiasts, there are no direct actionable insights or protocols to apply. The research is fundamental and specific to fruit‑fly neural development, offering no immediate relevance to human health, metabolic optimization, or performance enhancement.
Summary
This study looks at how certain proteins (DIP‑α and Dpr10) help fruit‑fly leg motor neurons form the right branching patterns when they connect to muscles. It’s a basic neuroscience discovery about fly development, not a human‑focused health finding.
Abstract
For animals to perform coordinated movements requires the precise organization of neural circuits controlling motor function. Motor neurons (MNs), key components of these circuits, project their axons from the central nervous system and form precise terminal branching patterns at specific muscles. Focusing on the <i>Drosophila</i> leg neuromuscular system, we show that the stereotyped terminal branching of a subset of MNs is mediated by interacting transmembrane Ig superfamily proteins DIP-α and Dpr10, present in MNs and target muscles, respectively. The DIP-α/Dpr10 interaction is needed only after MN axons reach the vicinity of their muscle targets. Live imaging suggests that precise terminal branching patterns are gradually established by DIP-α/Dpr10-dependent interactions between fine axon filopodia and developing muscles. Further, different leg MNs depend on the DIP-α and Dpr10 interaction to varying degrees that correlate with the morphological complexity of the MNs and their muscle targets.
Study Information
pubmed
2019
2019-02-04T00:00:00.000Z
10.7554/elife.42692