Local caspase activity directs engulfment of dendrites during pruning.
Pruning is important for sculpting neural circuits, as it removes excessive or inaccurate projections. Here we show that the removal of sensory neuron dendrites during pruning in Drosophila melanogaster is directed by local caspase activity. Suppressing caspase activity prevented dendrite removal, whereas a global activation of caspases within a neuron caused cell death. A new genetically encoded caspase probe revealed that caspase activity is confined to the degenerating dendrites of pruning neurons.
Williams
Darren W
DW
MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK. darren.williams@kcl.ac.uk
Kondo
Shu
S
Krzyzanowska
Agnieszka
A
Hiromi
Yasushi
Y
Truman
James W
JW
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D017209:Apoptosis; D020169:Caspases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003712:Dendrites / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000502:physiology*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000502:physiology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique / Q000379:methods; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000166:cytology*; D013997:Time Factors
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D020169:Caspases