A glial-neuronal signaling pathway revealed by mutations in a neurexin-related protein.
In the nervous system, glial cells greatly outnumber neurons but the full extent of their role in determining neural activity remains unknown. Here the axotactin (axo) gene of Drosophila was shown to encode a member of the neurexin protein superfamily secreted by glia and subsequently localized to axonal tracts. Null mutations of axo caused temperature-sensitive paralysis and a corresponding blockade of axonal conduction. Thus, the AXO protein appears to be a component of a glial-neuronal signaling mechanism that helps to determine the membrane electrical properties of target axons.
Neuroscience Training Program and Laboratory of Genetics, 445 Henry Mall, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706 USA.
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Yuan
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Ganetzky
D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology*; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000502:physiology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017344:Genes, Insect; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000502:physiology; D009154:Mutation; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000502:physiology*; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D009435:Synaptic Transmission; D013696:Temperature
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D019476:Insect Proteins; D007473:Ion Channels