Synaptic plasticity in Drosophila memory and hyperexcitable mutants: role of cAMP cascade

Zhong, Y., Budnik, V., Wu, C. F. (February 1992) Synaptic plasticity in Drosophila memory and hyperexcitable mutants: role of cAMP cascade. J Neurosci, 12 (2). pp. 644-51. ISSN 0270-6474 (Print)

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URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1371316

Abstract

Activity-dependent synaptic plasticity has been implicated in the refinement and modification of neural circuits during development and learning. Previous studies show that activity-induced facilitation and potentiation are disrupted at larval neuromuscular junctions in the memory mutants dunce (dnc) and rutabaga (rut) of Drosophila. The diminished learning-memory capacity and synaptic transmission plasticity have been associated with altered cAMP levels since dnc affects the cAMP-specific phosphodiesterase and rut affects adenylate cyclase. In this study, the morphology of larval motor axon terminals was examined by anti-HRP immunohistochemistry. It was found that the numbers of terminal varicosities and branches were increased in dnc mutants, which have elevated cAMP concentrations. Such increase was suppressed in dnc rut double mutants by rut mutations, which reduce cAMP synthesis. More profuse projections of larval motor axons have also been reported in double-mutant combinations of ether a go-go (eag) and Shaker (Sh) alleles, which display greatly enhanced nerve activity as a result of reduction in different K+ currents. Therefore, we examined combinations of dnc and rut with eag and Sh mutations to explore the possible relation between activity- and cAMP-induced morphological changes. We found that the expanded projections in dnc were further enhanced in double mutants of dnc with either eag or Sh, an effect that could again be suppressed by rut. The results provide evidence for altered plasticity of synaptic morphology in memory mutants dnc and rut and suggest a role of cAMP cascade in mediating activity-dependent synaptic plasticity.

Item Type: Paper
Additional Information:
Uncontrolled Keywords: 3',5'-Cyclic-Nucleotide Phosphodiesterase genetics metabolism Adenylate Cyclase genetics metabolism Alleles Animals Axonal Transport Cyclic AMP physiology Drosophila melanogaster genetics physiology Learning physiology Memory physiology Motor Neurons physiology Mutation Neuronal Plasticity Phenotype Synapses physiology
Subjects: organism description > animal > insect > Drosophila
organism description > animal behavior > memory
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell functions > neural plasticity
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell functions > synaptic transmission
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL labs > Zhong lab
Depositing User: CSHL Librarian
Date: February 1992
Date Deposited: 30 Mar 2012 18:11
Last Modified: 06 Nov 2017 21:30
Related URLs:
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/25568

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