Beadex, the Drosophila LIM only protein, is required for the growth of the larval neuromuscular junction.

The appropriate growth of the neurons, accurate organization of their synapses, and successful neurotransmission are indispensable for sensorimotor activities. These processes are highly dynamic and tightly regulated. Extensive genetic, molecular, physiological, and behavioral studies have identified many molecular candidates and investigated their roles in various neuromuscular processes. In this paper, we show that Beadex (Bx), the Drosophila LIM only (LMO) protein, is required for motor activities and neuromuscular growth of Drosophila. The larvae bearing Bx7, a null allele of Bx, and the RNAi-mediated neuronal-specific knockdown of Bx show drastically reduced crawling behavior, a diminished synaptic span of the neuromuscular junctions (NMJ) and an increased spontaneous neuronal firing with altered motor patterns in the central pattern generators (CPGs). Microarray studies identified multiple targets of Beadex that are involved in different cellular and molecular pathways, including those associated with the cytoskeleton and mitochondria, that could be responsible for the observed neuromuscular defects. With genetic interaction studies, we further show that Highwire (Hiw), a negative regulator of synaptic growth at the NMJs, negatively regulates Bx, as the latter's deficiency was able to rescue the phenotype of the Hiw null mutant, HiwDN. Thus, our data indicates that Beadex functions downstream of Hiw to regulate the larval synaptic growth and physiology.

Ru(II)-Catalyzed C-H alkylation of N-Benzyltriflamide with Maleimides: Synthesis of o-Succinimide Substituted Benzaldehydes.

A ruthenium-catalyzed N-benzyltriflamide assisted C-H alkylation with maleimide followed by hydrolysis of in situ generated imine has been developed for the first time. This synthetic method results in the efficient synthesis of o-succinimide derivatives of benzaldehydes. This reaction involves less expensive and mild reaction conditions and shows excellent site selectivity and good functional group compatibility.

Total synthesis of diplofuranone A and diapolic acid A.

The first and concise syntheses of the anticancer agent diplofuranone A and the fatty acid-derived metabolite diapolic acid A have been demonstrated using easily accessible and commercially available starting materials. The key feature of these syntheses is the efficient diversification of highly stereo- and chemoselectively constructed (E,E)-1,6-dioxo-2,4-dienes using ruthenium catalytic conditions, which enabled straightforward access to diversely substituted bioactive molecules.

Modulation of fungal virulence through CRZ1 regulated F-BAR-dependent actin remodeling and endocytosis in chickpea infecting phytopathogen Ascochyta rabiei.

Polarized hyphal growth of filamentous pathogenic fungi is an essential event for host penetration and colonization. The long-range early endosomal trafficking during hyphal growth is crucial for nutrient uptake, sensing of host-specific cues, and regulation of effector production. Bin1/Amphiphysin/Rvs167 (BAR) domain-containing proteins mediate fundamental cellular processes, including membrane remodeling and endocytosis. Here, we identified a F-BAR domain protein (ArF-BAR) in the necrotrophic fungus Ascochyta rabiei and demonstrate its involvement in endosome-dependent fungal virulence on the host plant Cicer arietinum. We show that ArF-BAR regulates endocytosis at the hyphal tip, localizes to the early endosomes, and is involved in actin dynamics. Functional studies involving gene knockout and complementation experiments reveal that ArF-BAR is necessary for virulence. The loss-of-function of ArF-BAR gene results in delayed formation of apical septum in fungal cells near growing hyphal tip that is crucial for host penetration, and impaired secretion of a candidate effector having secretory signal peptide for translocation across the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. The mRNA transcripts of ArF-BAR were induced in response to oxidative stress and infection. We also show that ArF-BAR is able to tubulate synthetic liposomes, suggesting the functional role of F-BAR domain in membrane tubule formation in vivo. Further, our studies identified a stress-induced transcription factor, ArCRZ1 (Calcineurin-responsive zinc finger 1), as key transcriptional regulator of ArF-BAR expression. We propose a model in which ArCRZ1 functions upstream of ArF-BAR to regulate A. rabiei virulence through a mechanism that involves endocytosis, effector secretion, and actin cytoskeleton regulation.

Fragile X premutation rCGG repeats impair synaptic growth and synaptic transmission at Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction.

Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) is a late-onset neurodegenerative disease that develops in some premutation (PM) carriers of the FMR1 gene with alleles bearing 55-200 CGG repeats. The discovery of a broad spectrum of clinical and cell-developmental abnormalities among PM carriers with or without FXTAS and in model systems suggests that neurodegeneration seen in FXTAS could be the inevitable end-result of pathophysiological processes set during early development. Hence, it is imperative to trace early PM-induced pathological abnormalities. Previous studies have shown that transgenic Drosophila carrying PM-length CGG repeats are sufficient to cause neurodegeneration. Here, we used the same transgenic model to understand the effect of CGG repeats on the structure and function of the developing nervous system. We show that presynaptic expression of CGG repeats restricts synaptic growth, reduces the number of synaptic boutons, leads to aberrant presynaptic varicosities, and impairs synaptic transmission at the larval neuromuscular junctions. The postsynaptic analysis shows that both glutamate receptors and subsynaptic reticulum proteins were normal. However, a high percentage of boutons show a reduced density of Bruchpilot protein, a key component of presynaptic active zones required for vesicle release. The electrophysiological analysis shows a significant reduction in quantal content, a measure of total synaptic vesicles released per excitation potential. Together, these findings suggest that synapse perturbation caused by riboCGG (rCGG) repeats mediates presynaptically during larval neuromuscular junction development. We also suggest that the stress-activated c-Jun N-terminal kinase protein Basket and CIDE-N protein Drep-2 positively mediate Bruchpilot active zone defects caused by rCGG repeats.

Role of Bin-Amphiphysin-Rvs (BAR) domain proteins in mediating neuronal signaling and disease.

Several proteins contain signaling domains that can regulate the cell membrane dynamics as well as the underlying cytoskeleton. Among these, Bin-Amphiphysin-Rvs (BAR) domain-containing proteins, with their membrane deforming properties, have emerged as the key players in regulating neuronal morphology and inducing neuronal signaling that can modulate synaptic architecture. While the biochemical and structural basis of membrane deformation by the BAR-domain proteins has been extensively studied, the in vivo contexts in which these proteins function remain to be elucidated. Despite the discovery of BAR-domain proteins over 25 years ago, most of the studies have primarily focused on understanding the structural and biochemical properties and cell biological processes regulated by these proteins. Understanding the functional requirements of these proteins at the level of multicellular organisms and the way these proteins regulate biological processes remains a topic of intensive study. In this review, we discuss the functional roles of BAR-domain proteins in the context of membrane dynamics and cellular signaling. We highlight recent developments describing the functional role of these proteins in neuronal morphogenesis, synaptic function, and disease.

Diversification of (E,E)-1,6-Dioxo-2,4-Dienes for the Synthesis of (+)-Aspicillin, Isolaurepan, and ß-Parinaric Acid.

A divergent formal synthesis of polyhydroxylated macrocyclic lactone (+)-aspicillin and polyene bioactive natural product ß-parinaric acid and the total synthesis of non-terpenoid metabolite isolaurepan have been achieved using a ruthenium-catalyzed stereo- and chemoselective oxidative coupling reaction of easily accessible vinyl ketones and acrylates. The crucial transformation involves the efficient synthesis and functionalization of stereodefined (E,E)-1,6-dioxo-2,4-dienes using simple reaction protocols, which enabled straightforward access to a diverse range of bioactive natural products.

Drosophila ELYS regulates Dorsal dynamics during development.

Embryonic large molecule derived from yolk sac (ELYS) is a constituent protein of nuclear pores. It initiates assembly of nuclear pore complexes into functional nuclear pores toward the end of mitosis. Using cellular, molecular, and genetic tools, including fluorescence and Electron microscopy, quantitative PCR, and RNAi-mediated depletion, we report here that the ELYS ortholog (dElys) plays critical roles during Drosophila development. dElys localized to the nuclear rim in interphase cells, but during mitosis it was absent from kinetochores and enveloped chromatin. We observed that RNAi-mediated dElys depletion leads to aberrant development and, at the cellular level, to defects in the nuclear pore and nuclear lamina assembly. Further genetic analyses indicated that dElys depletion re-activates the Dorsal (NF-κB) pathway during late larval stages. Re-activated Dorsal caused untimely expression of the Dorsal target genes in the post-embryonic stages. We also demonstrate that activated Dorsal triggers apoptosis during later developmental stages by up-regulating the pro-apoptotic genes reaper and hid The apoptosis induced by Reaper and Hid was probably the underlying cause for developmental abnormalities observed upon dElys depletion. Moreover, we noted that dElys has conserved structural features, but contains a noncanonical AT-hook-like motif through which it strongly binds to DNA. Together, our results uncover a novel epistatic interaction that regulates Dorsal dynamics by dElys during development.

Drosophila Choline transporter non-canonically regulates pupal eclosion and NMJ integrity through a neuronal subset of mushroom body.

Insect mushroom bodies (MB) have an ensemble of synaptic connections well-studied for their role in experience-dependent learning and several higher cognitive functions. MB requires neurotransmission for an efficient flow of information across synapses with different flexibility to meet the demand of the dynamically changing environment of an insect. Neurotransmitter transporters coordinate appropriate changes for an efficient neurotransmission at the synapse. Till date, there is no transporter reported for any of the previously known neurotransmitters in the intrinsic neurons of MB. In this study, we report a highly enriched expression of Choline Transporter (ChT) in Drosophila MB. We demonstrate that knockdown of ChT in a sub-type of MB neurons called α/ß core (α/ßc) and ϒ neurons leads to eclosion failure, peristaltic defect in larvae, and altered NMJ phenotype. These defects were neither observed on knockdown of proteins of the cholinergic locus in α/ßc and ϒ neurons nor by knockdown of ChT in cholinergic neurons. Thus, our study provides insights into non-canonical roles of ChT in MB.

Regulation of neuromuscular junction organization by Rab2 and its effector ICA69 in Drosophila.

The mechanisms underlying synaptic differentiation, which involves neuronal membrane and cytoskeletal remodeling, are not completely understood. We performed a targeted RNAi-mediated screen of Drosophila BAR-domain proteins and identified islet cell autoantigen 69 kDa (ICA69) as one of the key regulators of morphological differentiation of the larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ). We show that Drosophila ICA69 colocalizes with α-Spectrin at the NMJ. The conserved N-BAR domain of ICA69 deforms liposomes in vitro Full-length ICA69 and the ICAC but not the N-BAR domain of ICA69 induce filopodia in cultured cells. Consistent with its cytoskeleton regulatory role, ICA69 mutants show reduced α-Spectrin immunoreactivity at the larval NMJ. Manipulating levels of ICA69 or its interactor PICK1 alters the synaptic level of ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs). Moreover, reducing PICK1 or Rab2 levels phenocopies ICA69 mutation. Interestingly, Rab2 regulates not only synaptic iGluR but also ICA69 levels. Thus, our data suggest that: (1) ICA69 regulates NMJ organization through a pathway that involves PICK1 and Rab2, and (2) Rab2 functions genetically upstream of ICA69 and regulates NMJ organization and targeting/retention of iGluRs by regulating ICA69 levels.

Spermatozoa produced during winter are superior in terms of phenotypic characteristics and oviduct explants binding ability in the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis).

Although reduced reproductive efficiency during summer has been well documented in buffaloes, the reason for the same is yet to be understood. The present study was conducted to identify the subtle differences in sperm phenotypic characteristics (motility, membrane integrity, acrosome reaction and lipid peroxidation status), oviduct binding ability and expression of fertility-associated genes (AK 1, ATP5D, CatSper 1, Cytochrome P450 aromatase, SPP1 and PEBP1) between winter and summer seasons in buffaloes. Cryopreserved spermatozoa from 6 Murrah buffalo bulls (3 ejaculates/bull/season) were utilized for the study. Real-time quantitative PCR was performed for assessing the expression patterns of select fertility-associated genes. The proportion of motile and membrane intact spermatozoa was significantly higher (p < .05) in winter as compared to summer ejaculates. The proportion of moribund and lipid peroxidized spermatozoa was significantly lower (p < .05) in winter ejaculates as compared to summer. The sperm-oviduct binding index was significantly lower (p < .01) when spermatozoa from summer ejaculates were used as compared to winter ejaculates. The expression of fertility-associated genes did not differ significantly between the two seasons except for PEPB1; the transcriptional abundance of PEPB1 was significantly (p < .05) lower in summer as compared to winter season. It was inferred that buffalo spermatozoa produced during winter season were superior in terms of cryotolerance, membrane and acrosome integrity, lipid peroxidation status and the ability to bind with oviduct explants.

A cell-permeant small molecule for the super-resolution imaging of the endoplasmic reticulum in live cells.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) constitutes about half of the total membrane of a eukaryotic cell, and defects in the ER have been shown to be linked with a variety of diseases. To investigate these underlying mechanisms in detail, the specific labelling of the ER for high-resolution long-term live-imaging can serve as an important tool. Here, we report the identification of a stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy-compatible BODIPY derivative (NH2-BODIPY) to selectively image the ER. In contrast to the conventional ER-Tracker™ dye, NH2-BODIPY selectively labels the ER at a much lower concentration with no detectable cytotoxicity. Conventional imaging agents are often unstable under the intense light field used for STED microscopy, but NH2-BODIPY is stable due to its robust structure and therefore it has the potential to be widely exploited for ER imaging.

Selective Imaging of Lipids in Adipocytes by Using an Imidazolyl Derivative of Perylene Bisimide.

A small molecule, perylene bisimide imidazolyl derivative (PBI-ID), has been identified and developed as a specific marker for labelling multifunctional fat bodies in various organisms, including Drosophila and mammalian adipocytes. Interestingly, PBI-ID neither labels the plasma membranes nor cell nuclei by trapping into it. A remarkable feature of unbound PBI-ID is diminished fluorescence, which reduces the background emission noise, while contrasting the bound state effectively.

Altered translational repression of an RNA-binding protein, Elav by AOA2-causative Senataxin mutation.

Mutations in Senataxin (SETX) gene causes two types of neurological disorders, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS4) and Ataxia with Oculomotor Apraxia type 2 (AOA2). Recent studies in cultured cells suggest that SETX plays a crucial role at the interface of transcription and the DNA damage response. Whether SETX can alter translational of specific RNA is not known. In this study, we report that expressing AOA2-causative truncated form of human SETX in Drosophila neurons alters the development of neuromuscular junction (NMJ) synapses. Interestingly, we found that expressing this truncated form of SETX in Drosophila muscles resulted in an alteration of translational repression of an RNA-binding protein, Embryonic Lethal Abnormal Vision (Elav). Elav is transcribed in all tissues but remains translationally repressed except in neurons. Thus, our data suggest that an altered repression profile of RNA by SETX mutants could be one of the mechanisms underlying ALS4 or AOA2 pathogenesis.

Human Senataxin Modulates Structural Plasticity of the Neuromuscular Junction in Drosophila through a Neuronally Conserved TGFß Signalling Pathway.

BACKGROUND: Mutations in the human Senataxin (hSETX) gene have been shown to cause two forms of neurodegenerative disorders - a dominant form called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis type 4 (ALS4) and a recessive form called ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 2 (AOA2). SETX is a putative DNA/RNA helicase involved in RNA metabolism. Although several dominant mutations linked with ALS4 have been identified in SETX, their contribution towards ALS4 pathophysiology is still elusive. METHOD: In order to model ALS4 in Drosophila and to elucidate the morphological, physiological and signalling consequences, we overexpressed the wild-type and pathological forms of hSETX in Drosophila. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The pan-neuronal expression of wild-type or mutant forms of hSETX induced morphological plasticity at neuromuscular junction (NMJ) synapses. Surprisingly, we found that while the NMJ synapses were increased in number, the neuronal function was normal. Analysis of signalling pathways revealed that hSETX modulates the Highwire (Hiw; a conserved neuronal E3 ubiquitin ligase)-dependent bone morphogenetic protein/TGFß pathway. Thus, our study could pave the way for a better understanding of ALS4 progression by SETX through the regulation of neuronal E3 ubiquitin pathways.

Remembering K. S. Krishnan (1946-2014).

Dr. K. S. Krishnan was on the faculty of the Division of Biological Sciences at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai, India, and later emeritus professor at the National Center for Biological Sciences (NCBS) in Bangalore, India. His research using fruit flies has contributed richly to our understanding of synaptic function and mechanisms of anesthetic action. Dr. Krishnan passed away suddenly of a heart attack on the 24th of May, 2014. Below a few of his students fondly recall how it was to work in his group.

Distinct Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs (BAR) family proteins may assemble on the same tubule to regulate membrane organization in vivo.

Intracellular membrane tubules play a crucial role in diverse cellular processes, and their regulation is facilitated by Bin-Amphiphysin-Rvs (BAR) domain-containing proteins. This study investigates the roles of Drosophila ICA69 (dICA69) (an N-BAR protein) and Drosophila CIP4 (dCIP4) (an F-BAR protein), focusing on their impact on in vivo membrane tubule organization. In contrast to the prevailing models of BAR-domain protein function, we observed colocalization of endogenous dICA69 with dCIP4-induced tubules, indicating their potential recruitment for tubule formation and maintenance. Moreover, actin-regulatory proteins such as Wasp, SCAR, and Arp2/3 were recruited at the site of CIP4-induced tubule formation. An earlier study indicated that F-BAR proteins spontaneously segregate from the N-BAR domain proteins during membrane tubule formation. In contrast, our observation supports a model in which different BAR-domain family members can associate with the same tubule and cooperate to fine-tune the tubule width, possibly by recruiting actin modulators during the generation of tubules. Our data suggests that cooperative activities of distinct BAR-domain family proteins may determine the length and width of the membrane tubule in vivo.

dAsap regulates cellular protrusions via an Arf6-dependent actin regulatory pathway in S2R+ cells.

Membrane protrusions are fundamental to cellular functions like migration, adhesion, and communication and depend upon dynamic reorganization of the cytoskeleton. GAP-dependent GTP hydrolysis of Arf proteins regulates actin-dependent membrane remodeling. Here, we show that dAsap regulates membrane protrusions in S2R+ cells by a mechanism that critically relies on its ArfGAP domain and relocalization of actin regulators, SCAR, and Ena. While our data reinforce the preference of dAsap for Arf1 GTP hydrolysis in vitro, we demonstrate that induction of membrane protrusions in S2R+ cells depends on Arf6 inactivation. This study furthers our understanding of how dAsap-dependent GTP hydrolysis maintains a balance between active and inactive states of Arf6 to regulate cell shape.

Defhc1.1, a homologue of the juvenile myoclonic gene EFHC1, modulates architecture and basal activity of the neuromuscular junction in Drosophila.

Mutations in the EFHC1 gene have been linked to juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. To understand EFHC1 function in vivo, we generated knockout Drosophila for the fly homolog Defhc1.1. We found that the neuromuscular junction synapse of Defhc1.1 mutants displays an increased number of satellite boutons resulting in increased spontaneous neurotransmitter release. Defhc1.1 binds to microtubules in vitro and overlaps in vivo with axonal and synaptic microtubules. Elimination of Defhc1.1 from synaptic terminals reduces the number of microtubule loops, suggesting that Defhc1.1 is a negative regulator of microtubule dynamics. In fact, pharmacological treatment of Defhc1.1 mutants with vinblastine, an inhibitor of microtubule dynamics, suppresses the satellite bouton phenotype. Furthermore, Defhc1.1 mutants display overgrowth of the dendritic arbor and Defhc1.1 overexpression reduces dendrite elaboration. These results suggest that Defhc1.1 functions as an inhibitor of neurite growth by finely tuning the microtubule cytoskeleton dynamics and that EFHC1-dependent juvenile myoclonic epilepsy may result from augmented spontaneous neurotransmitter release due to overgrowth of neuronal processes.

A palladium catalyzed asymmetric desymmetrization approach to enantioenriched 1,3-disubstituted isoindolines.

Herein, we report the first palladium/MPAA catalyzed enantioselective C-H activation/[4 + 1] annulation of diarylmethyltriflamide and olefins to construct chiral cis-1,3-disubstituted isoindoline derivatives. The use of a readily accessible mono-N-protected amino acid as a chiral ligand improves the efficiency and enantioselectivity of the catalytic transformation. The developed method provides access to both enantiomers of a product using either d or l-phenylalanine derivative as a chiral ligand facilitating the synthesis of both optically active 1,3-disubstituted isoindoline derivatives.