Molecular and cellular basis for dendritic development and maintenance

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24300124
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Neuroscience in general
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo (2013-2015); Osaka Bioscience Institute (2012)
• Principal Investigator: Emoto Kazuo 東京大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (80300953)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): Koizumi Hiroyuki 東京大学, 大学院理学系研究科, 助教 (10334335)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 受容領域 / 樹状突起 / 感覚ニューロン / ショウジョウバエ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In Drosophila larvae, dendrites of C4da neurons completely but non-redundantly cover the whole epidermis, and the boundaries of these tiled dendritic fields are specified through repulsive interactions between homotypic dendrites. Here we report that, unlike the larval C4da neurons, adult C4da neurons rely on both dendritic repulsive interactions and external positional cues to delimit the boundaries of their dendritic fields. We identify Wnt5 derived from sternites, the ventral most part of the adult abdominal epidermis, as the critical determinant for the ventral boundaries. Further genetic data indicate that Wnt5 promotes dendrite termination on the periphery of sternites through the Ryk receptor family kinase Drl and the Rho GTPase guanine nucleotide exchange factor Trio in C4da neurons. Our findings thus uncover the dendritic contact-independent mechanism that is required for dendritic boundary specification.

Free Research Field

神経科学