CELL BIOLOGY OF THE NEURON Polarity ... - Tavernarakis Lab

Cell Biology of the Neuron: Polarity, Plasticity and Regeneration, Crete 2011
The Role of the Drosophila Formin dDAAM in Axon
Growth and Filopodia Formation
József Mihály 1 , Tamás Matusek 1 , Catarina Gonçalves-Pimentel 2 , Natalia
Sánchez-Soriano 2 , Andreas Prokop 2 , Rita Gombos 1
1
BRC HAS, Institute of Genetics, Szeged
2
Faculty of Life Sciences, Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research,
Manchester
In the developing nervous system growth cones have an essential role in guiding
axons to their correct target sites. Directed growth cone motility in response to
extracellular cues is produced by the coordinated regulation of peripheral F-actin
and central microtubule networks. Key regulators of actin dynamics are the so
called nucleation factors, such as the Arp2/3 complex and formins, which use
different mechanisms to seed new actin filaments.
We have previously examined the function of the Drosophila formin dDAAM in
the embryonic CNS, where this protein shows a strong accumulation in the
developing neurites. Genetic analysis suggested that this protein plays a major
role in the regulation of axonal growth by promoting filopodia formation in the
growth cone. Subsequently, we revealed a dDAAM requirement in the adult brain
as well by detecting axonal projection defects in the mushroom body.
Additionally, we identified Enabled, Profilin, Rac and the Arp2/3 complex as
potential partners that work together with dDAAM during axonal growth
regulation. Currently, we are investigating the mechanism as to how dDAAM
induced actin assembly might contribute to filopodia formation and how dDAAM
cooperates with the other cytoskeletal regulators identified as interaction partners.
Our poster will provide detailed information on these studies involving primary
neuronal cultures, mushroom body neurons and mouse model systems.
Presented by: Mihály, József
Poster No 074
Green Session
156