title: Glial wingless/Wnt regulates glutamate receptor clustering and synaptic physiology at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction.
abstract: Glial cells are emerging as important regulators of synapse formation, maturation, and plasticity through the release of secreted signaling molecules. Here we use chromatin immunoprecipitation along with Drosophila genomic tiling arrays to define potential targets of the glial transcription factor Reversed polarity (Repo). Unexpectedly, we identified wingless (wg), a secreted morphogen that regulates synaptic growth at the Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ), as a potential Repo target gene. We demonstrate that Repo regulates wg expression in vivo and that local glial cells secrete Wg at the NMJ to regulate glutamate receptor clustering and synaptic function. This work identifies Wg as a novel in vivo glial-secreted factor that specifically modulates assembly of the postsynaptic signaling machinery at the Drosophila NMJ.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, and National Center for Behavioral Genomics, Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454.
authors.forename: Kimberly S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kerr
authors.forename: Yuly
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fuentes-Medel
authors.forename: Cassandra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brewer
authors.forename: Romina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barria
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ashley
authors.forename: Katharine C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Abruzzi
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sheehan
authors.forename: Ozge E
authors.initials: OE
authors.lastname: Tasdemir-Yilmaz
authors.forename: Marc R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: Vivian
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Budnik
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D047369:Chromatin Immunoprecipitation; D004330:Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D055724:Electrophysiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000502:physiology*; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000502:physiology*; D034622:RNA Interference / Q000502:physiology; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000378:metabolism*; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*; D014162:Transfection; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D051153:Wnt Proteins; C089972:repo protein, Drosophila
keywords: Drosophila; NMJ; glia; synapse; wnt/Wg