MCTP-1 modulates neurotransmitter release in C. elegans.

Multiple C2 and Transmembrane Domain Proteins (MCTPs) are putative calcium sensors. Proteins that contain C2 domains play essential roles in membrane trafficking and exocytosis; however, MCTPs functions in neurotransmitter release are not known. Here we report that in C. elegans mctp-1 is under the control of two promoters - one active in the nervous system and the second in the spermatheca. We generated and characterized a loss of function amt1 mutant and compared it to a previously published loss of function mutant (av112). Loss of mctp-1 function causes defects in egg-laying, crawling velocity, and thrashing rates. Both amt1 and av112 mutants are hyposensitive to the acetylcholinesterase blocker aldicarb, suggesting that MCTP-1 may play a role in synaptic vesicle release.

Cell type-specific structural plasticity of the ciliary transition zone in C. elegans.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The current consensus on cilia development posits that the ciliary transition zone (TZ) is formed via extension of nine centrosomal microtubules. In this model, TZ structure remains unchanged in microtubule number throughout the cilium life cycle. This model does not however explain structural variations of TZ structure seen in nature and could also lend itself to the misinterpretation that deviations from nine-doublet microtubule ultrastructure represent an abnormal phenotype. Thus, a better understanding of events that occur at the TZ in vivo during metazoan development is required. RESULTS: To address this issue, we characterized ultrastructure of two types of sensory cilia in developing Caenorhabditis elegans. We discovered that, in cephalic male (CEM) and inner labial quadrant (IL2Q) sensory neurons, ciliary TZs are structurally plastic and remodel from one structure to another during animal development. The number of microtubule doublets forming the TZ can be increased or decreased over time, depending on cilia type. Both cases result in structural TZ intermediates different from TZ in cilia of adult animals. In CEM cilia, axonemal extension and maturation occurs concurrently with TZ structural maturation. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: Our work extends the current model to include the structural plasticity of metazoan transition zone, which can be structurally delayed, maintained or remodelled in cell type-specific manner.

The nphp-2 and arl-13 genetic modules interact to regulate ciliogenesis and ciliary microtubule patterning in C. elegans.

Cilia are microtubule-based cellular organelles that mediate signal transduction. Cilia are organized into several structurally and functionally distinct compartments: the basal body, the transition zone (TZ), and the cilia shaft. In vertebrates, the cystoprotein Inversin localizes to a portion of the cilia shaft adjacent to the TZ, a region termed the "Inversin compartment" (InvC). The mechanisms that establish and maintain the InvC are unknown. In the roundworm C. elegans, the cilia shafts of amphid channel and phasmid sensory cilia are subdivided into two regions defined by different microtubule ultrastructure: a proximal doublet-based region adjacent to the TZ, and a distal singlet-based region. It has been suggested that C. elegans cilia also possess an InvC, similarly to mammalian primary cilia. Here we explored the biogenesis, structure, and composition of the C. elegans ciliary doublet region and InvC. We show that the InvC is conserved and distinct from the doublet region. nphp-2 (the C. elegans Inversin homolog) and the doublet region genes arl-13, klp-11, and unc-119 are redundantly required for ciliogenesis. InvC and doublet region genes can be sorted into two modules-nphp-2+klp-11 and arl-13+unc-119-which are both antagonized by the hdac-6 deacetylase. The genes of this network modulate the sizes of the NPHP-2 InvC and ARL-13 doublet region. Glutamylation, a tubulin post-translational modification, is not required for ciliary targeting of InvC and doublet region components; rather, glutamylation is modulated by nphp-2, arl-13, and unc-119. The ciliary targeting and restricted localization of NPHP-2, ARL-13, and UNC-119 does not require TZ-, doublet region, and InvC-associated genes. NPHP-2 does require its calcium binding EF hand domain for targeting to the InvC. We conclude that the C. elegans InvC is distinct from the doublet region, and that components in these two regions interact to regulate ciliogenesis via cilia placement, ciliary microtubule ultrastructure, and protein localization.

The minus-end actin capping protein, UNC-94/tropomodulin, regulates development of the Caenorhabditis elegans intestine.

BACKGROUND: Tropomodulins are actin-capping proteins that regulate the stability of the slow-growing, minus-ends of actin filaments. The C. elegans tropomodulin homolog, UNC-94, has sequence and functional similarity to vertebrate tropomodulins. We investigated the role of UNC-94 in C. elegans intestinal morphogenesis. RESULTS: In the embryonic C. elegans intestine, UNC-94 localizes to the terminal web, an actin- and intermediate filament-rich structure that underlies the apical membrane. Loss of UNC-94 function results in areas of flattened intestinal lumen. In worms homozygous for the strong loss-of-function allele, unc-94(tm724), the terminal web is thinner and the amount of F-actin is reduced, pointing to a role for UNC-94 in regulating the structure of the terminal web. The non-muscle myosin, NMY-1, also localizes to the terminal web, and we present evidence that increasing actomyosin contractility by depleting the myosin phosphatase regulatory subunit, mel-11, can rescue the flattened lumen phenotype of unc-94 mutants. CONCLUSIONS: The data support a model in which minus-end actin capping by UNC-94 promotes proper F-actin structure and contraction in the terminal web, yielding proper shape of the intestinal lumen. This establishes a new role for a tropomodulin in regulating lumen shape during tubulogenesis.

CaV1 and CaV2 calcium channels mediate the release of distinct pools of synaptic vesicles.

Activation of voltage-gated calcium channels at presynaptic terminals leads to local increases in calcium and the fusion of synaptic vesicles containing neurotransmitter. Presynaptic output is a function of the density of calcium channels, the dynamic properties of the channel, the distance to docked vesicles, and the release probability at the docking site. We demonstrate that at Caenorhabditis elegans neuromuscular junctions two different classes of voltage-gated calcium channels, CaV2 and CaV1, mediate the release of distinct pools of synaptic vesicles. CaV2 channels are concentrated in densely packed clusters ~250 nm in diameter with the active zone proteins Neurexin, α-Liprin, SYDE, ELKS/CAST, RIM-BP, α-Catulin, and MAGI1. CaV2 channels are colocalized with the priming protein UNC-13L and mediate the fusion of vesicles docked within 33 nm of the dense projection. CaV2 activity is amplified by ryanodine receptor release of calcium from internal stores, triggering fusion up to 165 nm from the dense projection. By contrast, CaV1 channels are dispersed in the synaptic varicosity, and are colocalized with UNC-13S. CaV1 and ryanodine receptors are separated by just 40 nm, and vesicle fusion mediated by CaV1 is completely dependent on the ryanodine receptor. Distinct synaptic vesicle pools, released by different calcium channels, could be used to tune the speed, voltage-dependence, and quantal content of neurotransmitter release.

Sensory cilia act as a specialized venue for regulated extracellular vesicle biogenesis and signaling.

Ciliary extracellular vesicle (EV) shedding is evolutionarily conserved. In Chlamydomonas and C. elegans, ciliary EVs act as signaling devices.1-3 In cultured mammalian cells, ciliary EVs regulate ciliary disposal but also receptor abundance and signaling, ciliary length, and ciliary membrane dynamics.4-7 Mammalian cilia produce EVs from the tip and along the ciliary membrane.8,9 This study aimed to determine the functional significance of shedding at distinct locations and to explore ciliary EV biogenesis mechanisms. Using Airyscan super-resolution imaging in living C. elegans animals, we find that neuronal sensory cilia shed TRP polycystin-2 channel PKD-2::GFP-carrying EVs from two distinct sites: the ciliary tip and the ciliary base. Ciliary tip shedding requires distal ciliary enrichment of PKD-2 by the myristoylated coiled-coil protein CIL-7. Kinesin-3 KLP-6 and intraflagellar transport (IFT) kinesin-2 motors are also required for ciliary tip EV shedding. A big unanswered question in the EV field is how cells sort EV cargo. Here, we show that two EV cargoes- CIL-7 and PKD-2-localized and trafficked differently along cilia and were sorted to different environmentally released EVs. In response to mating partners, C. elegans males modulate EV cargo composition by increasing the ratio of PKD-2 to CIL-7 EVs. Overall, our study indicates that the cilium and its trafficking machinery act as a specialized venue for regulated EV biogenesis and signaling.

Ciliary Rab28 and the BBSome negatively regulate extracellular vesicle shedding.

Cilia both receive and send information, the latter in the form of extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs are nano-communication devices that influence cell, tissue, and organism behavior. Mechanisms driving ciliary EV biogenesis are almost entirely unknown. Here, we show that the ciliary G-protein Rab28, associated with human autosomal recessive cone-rod dystrophy, negatively regulates EV levels in the sensory organs of Caenorhabditis elegans in a cilia specific manner. Sequential targeting of lipidated Rab28 to periciliary and ciliary membranes is highly dependent on the BBSome and the prenyl-binding protein phosphodiesterase 6 subunit delta (PDE6D), respectively, and BBSome loss causes excessive and ectopic EV production. We also find that EV defective mutants display abnormalities in sensory compartment morphogenesis. Together, these findings reveal that Rab28 and the BBSome are key in vivo regulators of EV production at the periciliary membrane and suggest that EVs may mediate signaling between cilia and glia to shape sensory organ compartments. Our data also suggest that defects in the biogenesis of cilia-related EVs may contribute to human ciliopathies.

Plasma membrane tension regulates eisosome structure and function.

Eisosomes are membrane furrows at the cell surface of yeast that have been shown to function in two seemingly distinct pathways, membrane stress response and regulation of nutrient transporters. We found that many stress conditions affect both of these pathways by changing plasma membrane tension and thus the morphology and composition of eisosomes. For example, alkaline stress causes swelling of the cell and an endocytic response, which together increase membrane tension, thereby flattening the eisosomes. The flattened eisosomes affect membrane stress pathways and release nutrient transporters, which aids in their down-regulation. In contrast, glucose starvation or hyperosmotic shock causes cell shrinking, which results in membrane slack and the deepening of eisosomes. Deepened eisosomes are able to trap nutrient transporters and protect them from rapid endocytosis. Therefore, eisosomes seem to coordinate the regulation of both membrane tension and nutrient transporter stability.

Cell-Specific α-Tubulin Isotype Regulates Ciliary Microtubule Ultrastructure, Intraflagellar Transport, and Extracellular Vesicle Biology.

Cilia are found on most non-dividing cells in the human body and, when faulty, cause a wide range of pathologies called ciliopathies. Ciliary specialization in form and function is observed throughout the animal kingdom, yet mechanisms generating ciliary diversity are poorly understood. The "tubulin code"-a combination of tubulin isotypes and tubulin post-translational modifications-can generate microtubule diversity. Using C. elegans, we show that α-tubulin isotype TBA-6 sculpts 18 A- and B-tubule singlets from nine ciliary A-B doublet microtubules in cephalic male (CEM) neurons. In CEM cilia, tba-6 regulates velocities and cargoes of intraflagellar transport (IFT) kinesin-2 motors kinesin-II and OSM-3/KIF17 without affecting kinesin-3 KLP-6 motility. In addition to their unique ultrastructure and accessory kinesin-3 motor, CEM cilia are specialized to produce extracellular vesicles. tba-6 also influences several aspects of extracellular vesicle biology, including cargo sorting, release, and bioactivity. We conclude that this cell-specific α-tubulin isotype dictates the hallmarks of CEM cilia specialization. These findings provide insight into mechanisms generating ciliary diversity and lay a foundation for further understanding the tubulin code.

Glutamylation Regulates Transport, Specializes Function, and Sculpts the Structure of Cilia.

Ciliary microtubules (MTs) are extensively decorated with post-translational modifications (PTMs), such as glutamylation of tubulin tails. PTMs and tubulin isotype diversity act as a "tubulin code" that regulates cytoskeletal stability and the activity of MT-associated proteins such as kinesins. We previously showed that, in C. elegans cilia, the deglutamylase CCPP-1 affects ciliary ultrastructure, localization of the TRP channel PKD-2 and the kinesin-3 KLP-6, and velocity of the kinesin-2 OSM-3/KIF17, whereas a cell-specific α-tubulin isotype regulates ciliary ultrastructure, intraflagellar transport, and ciliary functions of extracellular vesicle (EV)-releasing neurons. Here we examine the role of PTMs and the tubulin code in the ciliary specialization of EV-releasing neurons using genetics, fluorescence microscopy, kymography, electron microscopy, and sensory behavioral assays. Although the C. elegans genome encodes five tubulin tyrosine ligase-like (TTLL) glutamylases, only ttll-11 specifically regulates PKD-2 localization in EV-releasing neurons. In EV-releasing cephalic male (CEM) cilia, TTLL-11 and the deglutamylase CCPP-1 regulate remodeling of 9+0 MT doublets into 18 singlet MTs. Balanced TTLL-11 and CCPP-1 activity fine-tunes glutamylation to control the velocity of the kinesin-2 OSM-3/KIF17 and kinesin-3 KLP-6 without affecting the intraflagellar transport (IFT) kinesin-II. TTLL-11 is transported by ciliary motors. TTLL-11 and CCPP-1 are also required for the ciliary function of releasing bioactive EVs, and TTLL-11 is itself a novel EV cargo. Therefore, MT glutamylation, as part of the tubulin code, controls ciliary specialization, ciliary motor-based transport, and ciliary EV release in a living animal. We suggest that cell-specific control of MT glutamylation may be a conserved mechanism to specialize the form and function of cilia.

Myristoylated CIL-7 regulates ciliary extracellular vesicle biogenesis.

The cilium both releases and binds to extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs may be used by cells as a form of intercellular communication and mediate a broad range of physiological and pathological processes. The mammalian polycystins (PCs) localize to cilia, as well as to urinary EVs released from renal epithelial cells. PC ciliary trafficking defects may be an underlying cause of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (PKD), and ciliary-EV interactions have been proposed to play a central role in the biology of PKD. In Caenorhabditis elegans and mammals, PC1 and PC2 act in the same genetic pathway, act in a sensory capacity, localize to cilia, and are contained in secreted EVs, suggesting ancient conservation. However, the relationship between cilia and EVs and the mechanisms generating PC-containing EVs remain an enigma. In a forward genetic screen for regulators of C. elegans PKD-2 ciliary localization, we identified CIL-7, a myristoylated protein that regulates EV biogenesis. Loss of CIL-7 results in male mating behavioral defects, excessive accumulation of EVs in the lumen of the cephalic sensory organ, and failure to release PKD-2::GFP-containing EVs to the environment. Fatty acylation, such as myristoylation and palmitoylation, targets proteins to cilia and flagella. The CIL-7 myristoylation motif is essential for CIL-7 function and for targeting CIL-7 to EVs. C. elegans is a powerful model with which to study ciliary EV biogenesis in vivo and identify cis-targeting motifs such as myristoylation that are necessary for EV-cargo association and function.

Cell-Specific Transcriptional Profiling of Ciliated Sensory Neurons Reveals Regulators of Behavior and Extracellular Vesicle Biogenesis.

Cilia and extracellular vesicles (EVs) are signaling organelles [1]. Cilia act as cellular sensory antennae, with defects resulting in human ciliopathies. Cilia both release and bind to EVs [1]. EVs are sub-micron-sized particles released by cells and function in both short- and long-range intercellular communication. In C. elegans and mammals, the autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) gene products polycystin-1 and polycystin-2 localize to both cilia and EVs, act in the same genetic pathway, and function in a sensory capacity, suggesting ancient conservation [2]. A fundamental understanding of EV biology and the relationship between the polycystins, cilia, and EVs is lacking. To define properties of a ciliated EV-releasing cell, we performed RNA-seq on 27 GFP-labeled EV-releasing neurons (EVNs) isolated from adult C. elegans. We identified 335 significantly overrepresented genes, of which 61 were validated by GFP reporters. The EVN transcriptional profile uncovered new pathways controlling EV biogenesis and polycystin signaling and also identified EV cargo, which included an antimicrobial peptide and ASIC channel. Tumor-necrosis-associated factor (TRAF) homologs trf-1 and trf-2 and the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pmk-1 acted in polycystin-signaling pathways controlling male mating behaviors. pmk-1 was also required for EV biogenesis, independent of the innate immunity MAPK signaling cascade. This first high-resolution transcriptome profile of a subtype of ciliated sensory neurons isolated from adult animals reveals the functional components of an EVN.

Tomography gives a new dimension to an ancient organelle.

Advances in sample preparation and electron microscopy have allowed the structure of cilia to be explored at an unprecedented level of detail.

C. elegans ciliated sensory neurons release extracellular vesicles that function in animal communication.

Cells release extracellular vesicles (ECVs) that play important roles in intercellular communication and may mediate a broad range of physiological and pathological processes. Many fundamental aspects of ECV biogenesis and signaling have yet to be determined, with ECV detection being a challenge and obstacle due to the small size (100 nm) of the ECVs. We developed an in vivo system to visualize the dynamic release of GFP-labeled ECVs. We show here that specific Caenorhabdidits elegans ciliated sensory neurons shed and release ECVs containing GFP-tagged polycystins LOV-1 and PKD-2. These ECVs are also abundant in the lumen surrounding the cilium. Electron tomography and genetic analysis indicate that ECV biogenesis occurs via budding from the plasma membrane at the ciliary base and not via fusion of multivesicular bodies. Intraflagellar transport and kinesin-3 KLP-6 are required for environmental release of PKD-2::GFP-containing ECVs. ECVs isolated from wild-type animals induce male tail-chasing behavior, while ECVs isolated from klp-6 animals and lacking PKD-2::GFP do not. We conclude that environmentally released ECVs play a role in animal communication and mating-related behaviors.

The tubulin deglutamylase CCPP-1 regulates the function and stability of sensory cilia in C. elegans.

BACKGROUND: Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) such as acetylation, detyrosination, and polyglutamylation have long been considered markers of stable microtubules and have recently been proposed to guide molecular motors to specific subcellular destinations. Microtubules can be deglutamylated by the cytosolic carboxypeptidase CCP1. Loss of CCP1 in mice causes cerebellar Purkinje cell degeneration. Cilia, which are conserved organelles that play important diverse roles in animal development and sensation, contain axonemes comprising microtubules that are especially prone to PTMs. RESULTS: Here, we report that a CCP1 homolog, CCPP-1, regulates the ciliary localization of the kinesin-3 KLP-6 and the polycystin PKD-2 in male-specific sensory neurons in C. elegans. In male-specific CEM (cephalic sensilla, male) cilia, ccpp-1 also controls the velocity of the kinesin-2 OSM-3/KIF17 without affecting the transport of kinesin-II cargo. In the core ciliated nervous system of both males and hermaphrodites, loss of ccpp-1 causes progressive defects in amphid and phasmid sensory cilia, suggesting that CCPP-1 activity is required for ciliary maintenance but not ciliogenesis. Affected cilia exhibit defective B-tubules. Loss of TTLL-4, a polyglutamylating enzyme of the tubulin tyrosine ligase-like family, suppresses progressive ciliary defects in ccpp-1 mutants. CONCLUSIONS: Our studies suggest that CCPP-1 acts as a tubulin deglutamylase that regulates the localization and velocity of kinesin motors and the structural integrity of microtubules in sensory cilia of a multicellular, living animal. We propose that the neuronal degeneration caused by loss of CCP1 in mammals may represent a novel ciliopathy in which cilia are formed but not maintained, depriving the cell of cilia-based signal transduction.