Glial cell adhesive molecule unzipped mediates axon guidance in Drosophila.
Axon guidance needs help from the glial cell system during embryogenesis. In the Drosophila embryonic central nervous system (CNS), longitudinal glia (LG) have been implicated in axon guidance but the mechanism remains unclear. We identified the protein encoded by the Drosophila gene unzipped (uzip) as a novel cell adhesion molecule (CAM). Uzip expressed in Drosophila S2 cells triggered cell aggregation through homophilic binding. In the embryonic CNS, Uzip was mainly produced by the LG but was also located at axons, which is consistent with the secretion of Uzip expressed in cultured cells. Although uzip mutants displayed no axonal defect, loss of uzip enhanced the axonal defects in the mutant of N-cadherin (CadN) and the Wnt gene family member wnt5. Overexpression of uzip could rescue the phenotype in the CadNuzip(D43) mutant. Thus, Uzip is a novel CAM from the LG regulating axon guidance.
Department of Life Science, National Chung-Cheng University, Chia-Yi, Taiwan.
Zhao-Ying
ZY
Ding
Ying-Hsuan
YH
Wang
Zhao-Kai
ZK
Luo
Huei-Fang
HF
Lee
Jaulang
J
Hwang
Cheng-Ting
CT
Chien
Min-Lang
ML
Huang
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000235:genetics; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D008954:Models, Biological; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000235:genetics; D014162:Transfection; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C558015:uzip protein, Drosophila