QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Web of Science (9) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Löhr, R. Articles by Prokop, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Löhr, R. Articles by Prokop, A.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

The Journal of Neuroscience, December 1, 2002, 22(23):10357-10367

Compartmentalization of Central Neurons in Drosophila: A New Strategy of Mosaic Analysis Reveals Localization of Presynaptic Sites to Specific Segments of Neurites

Robert Löhr¹, Tanja Godenschwege², Erich Buchner³, and Andreas Prokop¹

¹ Institute of Genetics, University of Mainz, D-55128 Mainz, Germany, ² Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Massachusetts 01003, and ³ Biocentre of the University, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany

Synaptogenesis in the CNS has received far less attention than the development of neuromuscular synapses, although only central synapses allow the study of neuronal postsynaptic mechanisms and display a greater variety of structural and functional features. This neglect is attributable mainly to the enormous complexity of the CNS, which makes the visualization of individual synapses on defined neuronal processes very difficult. We overcome this obstacle and demonstrate by confocal microscopy the specific arrangement of output synapses on individual neurites. These studies are performed via genetic mosaic strategies in the CNS of the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster. First, we use targeted expression of synaptic proteins by the UAS/Gal4 system. Second, we apply a newly developed transplantation-based mosaic strategy that takes advantage of the intrinsic regulation and localization of synaptic proteins in single-cell clones. We propose the existence of three distinct neuritic compartments: (1) primary neurites that appear to form the main transport pathways and are mostly void of output synapses, (2) neuritic compartments that contain output synapses, and (3) neuritic compartments that are postsynaptic in nature. In addition we show that mutations of the kakapo gene have no obvious effect on the distribution of output synapses in the CNS, whereas neuromuscular synapses are severely reduced. This suggests that synaptogenic mechanisms in the CNS might differ from those at neuromuscular junctions.

Key words: synaptogenesis; development; presynaptic; transplantation; mosaic; kakapo

---

Copyright © 2002 Society for Neuroscience  0270-6474/02/222310357-11$05.00/0

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help