The microRNA bantam functions in epithelial cells to regulate scaling growth of dendrite arbors in drosophila sensory neurons.
In addition to establishing dendritic coverage of the receptive field, neurons need to adjust their dendritic arbors to match changes of the receptive field. Here, we show that dendrite arborization (da) sensory neurons establish dendritic coverage of the body wall early in Drosophila larval development and then grow in precise proportion to their substrate, the underlying body wall epithelium, as the larva more than triples in length. This phenomenon, referred to as scaling growth of dendrites, requires the function of the microRNA (miRNA) bantam (ban) in the epithelial cells rather than the da neurons themselves. We further show that ban in epithelial cells dampens Akt kinase activity in adjacent neurons to influence dendrite growth. This signaling between epithelial cells and neurons receiving sensory input from the body wall synchronizes their growth to ensure proper dendritic coverage of the receptive field.
Parrish
Jay Z
JZ
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Departments of Physiology, Biochemistry, and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
Xu
Peizhang
P
Kim
Charles C
CC
Jan
Lily Yeh
LY
Jan
Yuh Nung
YN
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D003712:Dendrites / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology*; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D007814:Larva; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000502:physiology*; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D051058:Oncogene Protein v-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000166:cytology; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D013997:Time Factors
D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D035683:MicroRNAs; C471146:bantam microRNA, Drosophila; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase; D051058:Oncogene Protein v-akt