Plum, an immunoglobulin superfamily protein, regulates axon pruning by facilitating TGF-β signaling

Xiaomeng M. Yu, Itai Gutman, Timothy J. Mosca, Engin Oezkan, K. Christopher Garcia, Liqun Luo, Oren Schuldiner

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Axon pruning during development is essential for proper wiring of the mature nervous system, but itsregulation remains poorly understood. We have identified an immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) transmembrane protein, Plum, that is cell autonomously required for axon pruning of mushroom body (MB) γ neurons and for ectopic synapse refinement at the developing neuromuscular junction in. Drosophila. Plum promotes MB γ neuron axon pruning by regulating the expression of Ecdysone Receptor-B1, a key initiator of axon pruning. Genetic analyses indicate that Plum acts to facilitate signaling of Myoglianin, a glial-derived TGF-β, on MB γ neurons upstream of the type-I TGF-β receptor Baboon. Myoglianin, Baboon, and Ecdysone Receptor-B1 are also required for neuromuscular junction ectopic synapse refinement. Our study highlights both IgSF proteins and TGF-β facilitation as key promoters of developmental axon elimination and demonstrates a mechanistic conservation between MB axon pruning during metamorphosis and the refinement of ectopic larval neuromuscular connections

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)456-468
Number of pages13
JournalNeuron
Volume78
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 8 May 2013

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Neuroscience

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