title: Drosophila liprin-alpha and the receptor phosphatase Dlar control synapse morphogenesis.
abstract: Here, we examine the synaptic function of the receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase (RPTP), Dlar, and an associated intracellular protein, Dliprin-alpha, at the Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction. We show that Dliprin-alpha and Dlar are required for normal synaptic morphology. We also find that synapse complexity is proportional to the amount of Dlar gene product, suggesting that Dlar activity determines synapse size. Ultrastructural analysis reveals that Dliprin-alpha and Dlar are required to define the size and shape of the presynaptic active zone. Accordingly, there is a concomitant decrease in synaptic transmission in both mutants. Finally, epistasis analysis indicates that Dliprin-alpha is required for Dlar's action at the synapse. These data suggest a model where Dliprin-alpha and Dlar cooperate to regulate the formation and/or maintenance of a network of presynaptic proteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Program in Neuroscience and DFCI/Harvard Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kaufmann
authors.forename: Jamin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: DeProto
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ranjan
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Van Vactor
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D054557:Receptor-Like Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases; D013569:Synapses / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C490600:Liprin-alpha protein, Drosophila; C094398:PPFIA1 protein, human; D010750:Phosphoproteins; C117978:Lar protein, Drosophila; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases; D054557:Receptor-Like Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases