title: Drosophila Syncrip modulates the expression of mRNAs encoding key synaptic proteins required for morphology at the neuromuscular junction.
abstract: Localized mRNA translation is thought to play a key role in synaptic plasticity, but the identity of the transcripts and the molecular mechanism underlying their function are still poorly understood. Here, we show that Syncrip, a regulator of localized translation in the Drosophila oocyte and a component of mammalian neuronal mRNA granules, is also expressed in the Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction, where it regulates synaptic growth. We use RNA-immunoprecipitation followed by high-throughput sequencing and qRT-PCR to show that Syncrip associates with a number of mRNAs encoding proteins with key synaptic functions, including msp-300, syd-1, neurexin-1, futsch, highwire, discs large, and α-spectrin. The protein levels of MSP-300, Discs large, and a number of others are significantly affected in syncrip null mutants. Furthermore, syncrip mutants show a reduction in MSP-300 protein levels and defects in muscle nuclear distribution characteristic of msp-300 mutants. Our results highlight a number of potential new players in localized translation during synaptic plasticity in the neuromuscular junction. We propose that Syncrip acts as a modulator of synaptic plasticity by regulating the translation of these key mRNAs encoding synaptic scaffolding proteins and other important components involved in synaptic growth and function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Suzanne M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: McDermott
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Halstead
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Russell S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Carine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meignin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom ilan.davis@bioch.ox.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Ilan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; C000602460:Syp protein, Drosophila
keywords: Drosophila; localized translation; mRNA localization; neuromuscular junction