Shaggy, the homolog of glycogen synthase kinase 3, controls neuromuscular junction growth in Drosophila.
A protein-trap screen using the Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ) as a model synapse was performed to identify genes that control synaptic structure or plasticity. We found that Shaggy (Sgg), the Drosophila homolog of the mammalian glycogen synthase kinases 3 alpha and beta, two serine-threonine kinases, was concentrated at this synapse. Using various combinations of mutant alleles of shaggy, we found that Shaggy negatively controlled the NMJ growth. Moreover, tissue-specific expression of a dominant-negative Sgg indicated that this kinase is required in the motoneuron, but not in the muscle, to control NMJ growth. Finally, we show that Sgg controlled the microtubule cytoskeleton dynamics in the motoneuron and that Futsch, a microtubule-associated protein, was required for Shaggy function on synaptic growth.
Franco
Bénédicte
B
Laboratoire de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Unité Propre de Recherche Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 2580, 34094 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
Bogdanik
Laurent
L
Bobinnec
Yves
Y
Debec
Alain
A
Bockaert
Joël
J
Parmentier
Marie-Laure
ML
Grau
Yves
Y
D000818:Animals; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D007814:Larva / Q000201:enzymology; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008870:Microtubules / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000201:enzymology; D009154:Mutation; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; C409635:futsch protein, Drosophila; C080335:Sgg protein, Drosophila; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3