title: Loss of focal adhesions in glia disrupts both glial and photoreceptor axon migration in the Drosophila visual system.
abstract: Many aspects of glial development are regulated by extracellular signals, including those from the extracellular matrix (ECM). Signals from the ECM are received by cell surface receptors, including the integrin family. Previously, we have shown that Drosophila integrins form adhesion complexes with Integrin-linked kinase and talin in the peripheral nerve glia and have conserved roles in glial sheath formation. However, integrin function in other aspects of glial development is unclear. The Drosophila eye imaginal disc (ED) and optic stalk (OS) complex is an excellent model with which to study glial migration, differentiation and glia-neuron interactions. We studied the roles of the integrin complexes in these glial developmental processes during OS/eye development. The common beta subunit βPS and two alpha subunits, αPS2 and αPS3, are located in puncta at both glia-glia and glia-ECM interfaces. Depletion of βPS integrin and talin by RNAi impaired the migration and distribution of glia within the OS resulting in morphological defects. Reduction of integrin or talin in the glia also disrupted photoreceptor axon outgrowth leading to axon stalling in the OS and ED. The neuronal defects were correlated with a disruption of the carpet glia tube paired with invasion of glia into the core of the OS and the formation of a glial cap. Our results suggest that integrin-mediated extracellular signals are important for multiple aspects of glial development and non-autonomously affect axonal migration during Drosophila eye development.
authors: Department of Zoology, Cell and Developmental Biology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3.
authors: Xiaojun
authors: X
authors: Xie
authors: Department of Zoology, Cell and Developmental Biology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3.
authors: Mary
authors: M
authors: Gilbert
authors: Department of Zoology, Cell and Developmental Biology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3.
authors: Lindsay
authors: L
authors: Petley-Ragan
authors: Department of Zoology, Cell and Developmental Biology, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3 auld@zoology.ubc.ca.
authors: Vanessa J
authors: VJ
authors: Auld
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002465:Cell Movement; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology*; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D051417:Focal Adhesion Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D022001:Focal Adhesions / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D060227:Imaginal Discs / Q000166:cytology; D016023:Integrins / Q000378:metabolism; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D017956:Photoreceptor Cells, Invertebrate / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference; D016608:Talin / Q000378:metabolism; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D016023:Integrins; D016608:Talin; D051417:Focal Adhesion Kinase 1
keywords: Axon stalling; Eye; Glia; Integrin; Optic stalk; Talin