title: dHb9 expressing larval motor neurons persist through metamorphosis to innervate adult-specific muscle targets and function in Drosophila eclosion.
abstract: The Drosophila larval nervous system is radically restructured during metamorphosis to produce adult specific neural circuits and behaviors. Genesis of new neurons, death of larval neurons and remodeling of those neurons that persistent collectively act to shape the adult nervous system. Here, we examine the fate of a subset of larval motor neurons during this restructuring process. We used a dHb9 reporter, in combination with the FLP/FRT system to individually identify abdominal motor neurons in the larval to adult transition using a combination of relative cell body location, axonal position, and muscle targets. We found that segment specific cell death of some dHb9 expressing motor neurons occurs throughout the metamorphosis period and continues into the post-eclosion period. Many dHb9 > GFP expressing neurons however persist in the two anterior hemisegments, A1 and A2, which have segment specific muscles required for eclosion while a smaller proportion also persist in A2-A5. Consistent with a functional requirement for these neurons, ablating them during the pupal period produces defects in adult eclosion. In adults, subsequent to the execution of eclosion behaviors, the NMJs of some of these neurons were found to be dismantled and their muscle targets degenerate. Our studies demonstrate a critical continuity of some larval motor neurons into adults and reveal that multiple aspects of motor neuron remodeling and plasticity that are essential for adult motor behaviors. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 76: 1387-1416, 2016.
authors.affiliation: École Polytechnique Fédérale De Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.|Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, 45056.
authors.forename: Soumya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.affiliation: University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine, 375 Newton Road, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242.|Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, 45056.
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toral
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, 45056.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siefert
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, 45056.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Conway
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, 45056.|Department of Obsetrics and Gynecology, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46220.
authors.forename: Meredith
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dorr
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, 45056.
authors.forename: Joyce
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fernandes
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D016923:Cell Death; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000378:metabolism*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007814:Larva / Q000502:physiology*; D008675:Metamorphosis, Biological / Q000502:physiology*; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D009132:Muscles / Q000378:metabolism*; D009420:Nervous System / Q000473:pathology; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C490005:exex protein, Drosophila
keywords: Drosophila; dHb9; eclosion; metamorphosis; motor neuron remodeling