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Baz, Par-6 and aPKC are not required for axon or dendrite specification in Drosophila

Nature Neuroscience volume 7, pages 1293–1295 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Par-3/Baz, Par-6, and aPKC are evolutionarily conserved regulators of cell polarity, and overexpression experiments implicate them as axon determinants in vertebrate hippocampal neurons. Here we examined their mutant and overexpression phenotypes in Drosophila melanogaster. We found that mutants neurons had normal axon and dendrite morphology and remodeled axons correctly in metamorphosis, and that overexpression did not affect axon or dendrite specification. Baz/Par-6/aPKC are therefore not essential for axon specification in Drosophila.

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Figure 1: Baz, par-6, and aPKC mutant neurons form normal axons and dendrites in vivo.
Figure 2: Overexpression of Baz or Par-6 does not affect axon morphology or number.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Howard Hughes Medical Institute (C.Q.D.) and the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation (M.M.R.) for funding, and the Bloomington Stock Center for fly stocks. A. Wodarz kindly provided the antibodies. We thank S. Siegrist for comments on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Neuroscience and Institute of Molecular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, 97403, Oregon, USA

    Melissa M Rolls & Chris Q Doe

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  1. Melissa M Rolls
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  2. Chris Q Doe
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Correspondence to Chris Q Doe.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Fig. 1

Par-6 is not detectable in par-6 mutant mushroom body neuroblasts. GFP-marked par-6 mutant clone in the mushroom body of a third instar brain, dotted lines. Neuroblasts, highlighted by Miranda (Mir), have high levels of Par-6 outside the clone and none inside the clone. In addition, aPKC mutant clones have no detectable aPKC protein at this stage4. (JPG 51 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 2

Baz, Par-6 and aPKC are polarized in mature sensory or CNS neurons. (a) Baz and aPKC localization in ciliated neurons of the embryonic chordotonal organ. 22C10 (green) reveals chordotonal neuron morphology. Baz (red) localized to two puncta; the proximal one is in the dendrite (data not shown). aPKC (red) and Par-6 (not shown) localized in the scolopale support cell that surrounds the sensory dendrite. baz, par-6, and aPKC mutant embryos or larvae show no defects in sensory dendrite morphology, but we cannot be sure all maternal protein is gone at the time of dendrite formation (data not shown). (b) Baz, Par-6, and aPKC polarized localization in third instar larval mushroom body interneurons. Dlg or GFP mark mushroom body architecture. Confocal sections are indicated by the red line (right schematic). Each of the single confocal sections shown contains mushroom body dendrites (D) and proximal axons (A) so that relative protein levels in dendrites and axons can be directly compared. The dendrite region contains synapses, the proximal axons do not. Arrows indicate young axons which extend down the middle of the axon bundle as they develop. (JPG 49 kb)

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Rolls, M., Doe, C. Baz, Par-6 and aPKC are not required for axon or dendrite specification in Drosophila. Nat Neurosci 7, 1293–1295 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn1346

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