title: Presynapses in Kenyon cell dendrites in the mushroom body calyx of Drosophila.
abstract: Plastic changes at the presynaptic sites of the mushroom body (MB) principal neurons called Kenyon cells (KCs) are considered to represent a neuronal substrate underlying olfactory learning and memory. It is generally believed that presynaptic and postsynaptic sites of KCs are spatially segregated. In the MB calyx, KCs receive olfactory input from projection neurons (PNs) on their dendrites. Their presynaptic sites, however, are thought to be restricted to the axonal projections within the MB lobes. Here, we show that KCs also form presynapses along their calycal dendrites, by using novel transgenic tools for visualizing presynaptic active zones and postsynaptic densities. At these presynapses, vesicle release following stimulation could be observed. They reside at a distance from the PN input into the KC dendrites, suggesting that regions of presynaptic and postsynaptic differentiation are segregated along individual KC dendrites. KC presynapses are present in γ-type KCs that support short- and long-term memory in adult flies and larvae. They can also be observed in α/β-type KCs, which are involved in memory retrieval, but not in α'/β'-type KCs, which are implicated in memory acquisition and consolidation. We hypothesize that, as in mammals, recurrent activity loops might operate for memory retrieval in the fly olfactory system. The newly identified KC-derived presynapses in the calyx are, inter alia, candidate sites for the formation of memory traces during olfactory learning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Institute for Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Frauke
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Christiansen
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zube
authors.forename: Till F M
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Andlauer
authors.forename: Carolin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wichmann
authors.forename: Wernher
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fouquet
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Owald
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mertel
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Leiss
authors.forename: Gaia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tavosanis
authors.forename: Abud J Farca
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Luna
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fiala
authors.forename: Stephan J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Sigrist
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003712:Dendrites / Q000502:physiology*; D004330:Drosophila; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D024521:Mushroom Bodies / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*; D013572:Synaptic Vesicles / Q000502:physiology