title: Drosophila Neto is essential for clustering glutamate receptors at the neuromuscular junction.
abstract: Neurotransmitter receptor recruitment at postsynaptic specializations is key in synaptogenesis, since this step confers functionality to the nascent synapse. The Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a glutamatergic synapse, similar in composition and function to mammalian central synapses. Various mechanisms regulating the extent of postsynaptic ionotropic glutamate receptor (iGluR) clustering have been described, but none are known to be essential for the initial localization and clustering of iGluRs at postsynaptic densities (PSDs). We identified and characterized the Drosophila neto (neuropilin and tolloid-like) as an essential gene required for clustering of iGluRs at the NMJ. Neto colocalizes with the iGluRs at the PSDs in puncta juxtaposing the active zones. neto loss-of-function phenotypes parallel the loss-of-function defects described for iGluRs. The defects in neto mutants are effectively rescued by muscle-specific expression of neto transgenes. Neto clustering at the Drosophila NMJ coincides with and is dependent on iGluRs. Our studies reveal that Drosophila Neto is a novel, essential component of the iGluR complexes and is required for iGluR clustering, organization of PSDs, and synapse functionality.
authors.affiliation: Program in Cellular Regulation and Metabolism, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Young-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Liana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bonanno
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Mihaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Serpe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000378:metabolism*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D054792:Muscle, Striated / Q000378:metabolism*; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000378:metabolism*; D057907:Post-Synaptic Density / Q000378:metabolism*; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C573279:Neto protein, Drosophila; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate