Drosophila Shep and C. elegans SUP-26 are RNA-binding proteins that play diverse roles in nervous system development.
The Caenorhabditis elegans gene sup-26 encodes a well-conserved RNA-recognition motif-containing RNA-binding protein (RBP) that functions in dendrite morphogenesis of the PVD sensory neuron. The Drosophila ortholog of sup-26, alan shepard (shep), is expressed throughout the nervous system and has been shown to regulate neuronal remodeling during metamorphosis. Here, we extend these studies to show that sup-26 and shep are required for the development of diverse cell types within the nematode and fly nervous systems during embryonic and larval stages. We ascribe roles for sup-26 in regulating dendrite number and the expression of genes involved in mechanosensation within the nematode peripheral nervous system. We also find that in Drosophila, shep regulates dendrite length and branch order of nociceptive neurons, regulates the organization of neuronal clusters of the peripheral nervous system and the organization of axons within the ventral nerve cord. Taken together, our results suggest that shep/sup-26 orthologs play diverse roles in neural development across animal species. Moreover, we discuss potential roles for shep/sup-26 orthologs in the human nervous system.
Department of Biology, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, 1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway, Colorado Springs, CO, 80918, USA.
Logan T
LT
Schachtner
Department of Biology, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, 1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway, Colorado Springs, CO, 80918, USA.
Ismail E
IE
Sola
Department of Biology, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, 1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway, Colorado Springs, CO, 80918, USA.
Daniel
D
Forand
Department of Molecular Biology, Colorado College, 14 East Cache La Poudre Street, Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, USA.
Simona
S
Antonacci
Department of Biology, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, 1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway, Colorado Springs, CO, 80918, USA.
Adam J
AJ
Postovit
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, CO, 80208, USA.|School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, 61790, USA.
Nathan T
NT
Mortimer
Department of Molecular Biology, Colorado College, 14 East Cache La Poudre Street, Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, USA. darrell.killian@coloradocollege.edu.
Darrell J
DJ
Killian
Department of Biology, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, 1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway, Colorado Springs, CO, 80918, USA. eugenia.killian@uccs.edu.
Eugenia C
EC
Olesnicky
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003712:Dendrites / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007814:Larva / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D008675:Metamorphosis, Biological / Q000235:genetics; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D009420:Nervous System / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D034622:RNA Interference; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; C000607969:SUP-26 protein, C elegans; C000592804:Shep protein, Drosophila
Dendrites; Neurons; RNA-binding proteins; alan shepard; sup-26