title: cAMP Signals in Drosophila Motor Neurons Are Confined to Single Synaptic Boutons.
abstract: The second messenger cyclic AMP (cAMP) plays an important role in synaptic plasticity. Although there is evidence for local control of synaptic transmission and plasticity, it is less clear whether a similar spatial confinement of cAMP signaling exists. Here, we suggest a possible biophysical basis for the site-specific regulation of synaptic plasticity by cAMP, a highly diffusible small molecule that transforms the physiology of synapses in a local and specific manner. By exploiting the octopaminergic system of Drosophila, which mediates structural synaptic plasticity via a cAMP-dependent pathway, we demonstrate the existence of local cAMP signaling compartments of micrometer dimensions within single motor neurons. In addition, we provide evidence that heterogeneous octopamine receptor localization, coupled with local differences in phosphodiesterase activity, underlies the observed differences in cAMP signaling in the axon, cell body, and boutons.
authors: Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Rudolf Virchow Center, University of Würzburg, Versbacher Strasse 9, 97078 Würzburg, Germany. Electronic address: isabella.maiellaro@toxi.uni-wuerzburg.de.
authors: Isabella
authors: I
authors: Maiellaro
authors: Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Rudolf Virchow Center, University of Würzburg, Versbacher Strasse 9, 97078 Würzburg, Germany.
authors: Martin J
authors: MJ
authors: Lohse
authors: Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Röntgenring 9, 97070 Würzburg, Germany. Electronic address: robert.kittel@uni-wuerzburg.de.
authors: Robert J
authors: RJ
authors: Kittel
authors: Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Rudolf Virchow Center, University of Würzburg, Versbacher Strasse 9, 97078 Würzburg, Germany. Electronic address: davide.calebiro@toxi.uni-wuerzburg.de.
authors: Davide
authors: D
authors: Calebiro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D066146:Cell Body / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D007478:Iontophoresis; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009655:Octopamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D009655:Octopamine; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D010727:Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases
keywords: FRET; GPCR; PDE; active zone; cAMP; dunce; octopamine; synaptic plasticity