title: Drosophila cells use nanotube-like structures to transfer dsRNA and RNAi machinery between cells.
abstract: Tunnelling nanotubes and cytonemes function as highways for the transport of organelles, cytosolic and membrane-bound molecules, and pathogens between cells. During viral infection in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, a systemic RNAi antiviral response is established presumably through the transport of a silencing signal from one cell to another via an unknown mechanism. Because of their role in cell-cell communication, we investigated whether nanotube-like structures could be a mediator of the silencing signal. Here, we describe for the first time in the context of a viral infection the presence of nanotube-like structures in different Drosophila cell types. These tubules, made of actin and tubulin, were associated with components of the RNAi machinery, including Argonaute 2, double-stranded RNA, and CG4572. Moreover, they were more abundant during viral, but not bacterial, infection. Super resolution structured illumination microscopy showed that Argonaute 2 and tubulin reside inside the tubules. We propose that nanotube-like structures are one of the mechanisms by which Argonaute 2, as part of the antiviral RNAi machinery, is transported between infected and non-infected cells to trigger systemic antiviral immunity in Drosophila.
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Viruses and RNA interference, CNRS URM 3569, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.|Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris VI, IFD, 4 Place Jussieu 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France.
authors.forename: Margot
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karlikow
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Viruses and RNA interference, CNRS URM 3569, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
authors.forename: Bertsy
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Goic
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Viruses and RNA interference, CNRS URM 3569, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
authors.forename: Vanesa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mongelli
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Imagopole, Citech, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salles
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Platform of Ultra-structural microscopy, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Platform of Ultra-structural microscopy, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bonne
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Membrane traffic and pathogenesis, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zurzolo
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Viruses and RNA interference, CNRS URM 3569, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
authors.forename: Maria-Carla
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Saleh
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D060565:Argonaute Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001692:Biological Transport; D002450:Cell Communication; D002460:Cell Line; D056629:Dicistroviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000648:ultrastructure / Q000821:virology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015388:Organelles / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000648:ultrastructure / Q000821:virology; D016973:Pectobacterium carotovorum / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D034622:RNA Interference; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014404:Tubulin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020691:rab GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000090802:rab7 GTP-Binding Proteins
chemical_list: C433807:AGO2 protein, Drosophila; D000199:Actins; D060565:Argonaute Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D014404:Tubulin; D014764:Viral Proteins; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; C413663:fluorescent protein 583; D000090802:rab7 GTP-Binding Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D020691:rab GTP-Binding Proteins