A neurofibromatosis-1-regulated pathway is required for learning in Drosophila

Guo, H. F., Tong, J. Y., Hannan, F., Luo, L., Zhong, Y. (February 2000) A neurofibromatosis-1-regulated pathway is required for learning in Drosophila. Nature, 403 (6772). pp. 895-898. ISSN 0028-0836

URL: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v403/n6772/fu...
DOI: 10.1038/35002593

Abstract

The tumour-suppressor gene Neurofibromatosis 1 (Nf1) encodes a Ras-specific GTPase activating protein (Ras-GAP)(1-5). In addition to being involved in tumour formation(6,7), NF1 has been reported to cause learning defects in humans(8-10) and Nf1 knockout mice(11) However, it remains to be determined whether the observed learning defect is secondary to abnormal development. The Drosophila NF1 protein is highly conserved, showing 60% identity of its 2,803 amino acids with human NF1 (ref. 12), Previous studies have suggested that Drosophila NF1 acts not only as a Ras-GAP but also as a possible regulator of the cAMP pathway that involves the rutabaga (rut)-encoded adenylyl cyclase(13). Because rut was isolated as a learning and short-term memory mutant(14,15), we have pursued the hypothesis that NF1 may affect learning through its control of the Rut-adenylyl cyclase/cAMP pathway. Here we show that NF1 affects learning and short-term memory independently of its developmental effects. We show that G-protein-activated adenylyl cyclase activity consists of NF1-independent and NF1-dependent components, and that the mechanism of the NF1-dependent activation of the Rut-adenylyl cyclase pathway is essential for mediating Drosophila learning and memory.

Item Type: Paper
Uncontrolled Keywords: PROTEIN-KINASE-A protein kinase-A ADENYLATE-CYCLASE adenylate-cyclase adenylate cyclase MUSHROOM BODIES mushroom bodies TERM-MEMORY term memory short GENE gene NF1 TYPE-1 Type-1 RAS Ras MELANOGASTER Drosophila Melanogaster RUTABAGA Rutababa
Subjects: organism description > animal > insect > Drosophila
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > protein structure, function, modification > protein types > GTPase
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > protein structure, function, modification > protein types > NF1
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > suppressor
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL labs > Zhong lab
Depositing User: CSHL Librarian
Date: February 2000
Date Deposited: 29 Mar 2012 20:56
Last Modified: 29 Mar 2012 20:56
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/25582

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