Dennis Mathew

Translation of sensory input into behavioral output via an olfactory system

We investigate the logic by which sensory input is translated into behavioral output. First we provide a functional analysis of the entire odor receptor repertoire of an olfactory system. We construct tuning curves for the 21 functional odor receptors of the Drosophila larva and show that they sharpen at lower odor doses. We construct a 21-dimensional odor space from the responses of the receptors and find that the distance between two odors correlates with the extent to which one odor masks the other. Mutational analysis shows that different receptors mediate the responses to different concentrations of an odorant. The summed response of the entire receptor repertoire correlates with the strength of the behavioral response. The activity of a small number of receptors is a surprisingly powerful predictor of behavior. Odors that inhibit more receptors are more likely to be repellents. Odor space is largely conserved between two dissimilar olfactory systems.

Wingless signaling at synapses is through cleavage and nuclear import of receptor DFrizzled2.

Wingless secretion provides pivotal signals during development by activating transcription of target genes. At Drosophila synapses, Wingless is secreted from presynaptic terminals and is required for synaptic growth and differentiation. Wingless binds the seven-pass transmembrane DFrizzled2 receptor, but the ensuing events at synapses are not known. We show that DFrizzled2 is endocytosed from the postsynaptic membrane and transported to the nucleus. The C terminus of DFrizzled2 is cleaved and translocated into the nucleus; the N-terminal region remains just outside the nucleus. Translocation of DFrizzled2-C into the nucleus, but not its cleavage and transport, depends on Wingless signaling. We conclude that, at synapses, Wingless signal transduction occurs through the nuclear localization of DFrizzled2-C for potential transcriptional regulation of synapse development.

Wnts and TGFβ in synaptogenesis: Old friends signalling at new places

The formation of mature synaptic connections involves the targeted transport and aggregation of synaptic vesicles, the gathering of presynaptic release sites and the clustering of postsynaptic neurotransmitter receptors and ion channels. Positional cues are required to orient the cytoskeleton in the direction of neuronal outgrowth, and also to direct the juxtaposition of synaptic protein complexes at the pre- and postsynaptic membranes. Both anterograde and retrograde factors are thought to contribute positional information during synaptic differentiation, and recent studies in vertebrates and invertebrates have begun to uncover a new role in this process for proteins that are essential for pattern formation in the early embryo.

Nuclear trafficking of Drosophila Frizzled-2 during synapse development requires the PDZ protein dGRIP

The Wingless pathway plays an essential role during synapse development. Recent studies at Drosophila glutamatergic synapses suggest that Wingless is secreted by motor neuron terminals and binds to postsynaptic Drosophila Frizzled-2 (DFz2) receptors. DFz2 is, in turn, endocytosed and transported to the muscle perinuclear area, where it is cleaved, and the C-terminal fragment is imported into the nucleus, presumably to regulate transcription during synapse growth. Alterations in this pathway interfere with the formation of new synaptic boutons and lead to aberrant synaptic structures. Here, we show that the 7 PDZ protein dGRIP is necessary for the trafficking of DFz2 to the nucleus. dGRIP is localized to Golgi and trafficking vesicles, and dgrip mutants mimic the synaptic phenotypes observed in wg and dfz2 mutants. DFz2 and dGRIP colocalize in trafficking vesicles, and a severe decrease in dGRIP levels prevents the transport of endocytosed DFz2 receptors to the nucleus. Moreover, coimmunoprecipitation experiments in transfected cells and yeast two-hybrid assays suggest that the C terminus of DFz2 interacts directly with the PDZ domains 4 and 5. These results provide a mechanism by which DFz2 is transported from the postsynaptic membrane to the postsynaptic nucleus during synapse formation and implicate dGRIP as an essential molecule in the transport of this signal.

Recruitment of Scribble to the Synaptic Scaffolding Complex Requires GUK-holder, a Novel DLG Binding Protein

BACKGROUND Membrane-associated guanylate kinases (MAGUKs), such as Discs-Large (DLG), play critical roles in synapse maturation by regulating the assembly of synaptic multiprotein complexes. Previous studies have revealed a genetic interaction between DLG and another PDZ scaffolding protein, SCRIBBLE (SCRIB), during the establishment of cell polarity in developing epithelia. A possible interaction between DLG and SCRIB at synaptic junctions has not yet been addressed. Likewise, the biochemical nature of this interaction remains elusive, raising questions regarding the mechanisms by which the actions of both proteins are coordinated. RESULTS Here we report the isolation of a new DLG-interacting protein, GUK-holder, that interacts with the GUK domain of DLG and which is dynamically expressed during synaptic bouton budding. We also show that at Drosophila synapses DLG colocalizes with SCRIB and that this colocalization is likely to be mediated by direct interactions between GUKH and the PDZ2 domain of SCRIB. We show that DLG, GUKH, and SCRIB form a tripartite complex at synapses, in which DLG and GUKH are required for the proper synaptic localization of SCRIB. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide a mechanism by which developmentally important PDZ-mediated complexes are associated at the synapse.

Controlling airborne cues to study small animal navigation

Small animals such as nematodes and insects analyze airborne chemical cues to infer the direction of favorable and noxious locations. In these animals, the study of navigational behavior evoked by airborne cues has been limited by the difficulty of precisely controlling stimuli. We present a system that can be used to deliver gaseous stimuli in defined spatial and temporal patterns to freely moving small animals. We used this apparatus, in combination with machine-vision algorithms, to assess and quantify navigational decision making of Drosophila melanogaster larvae in response to ethyl acetate (a volatile attractant) and carbon dioxide (a gaseous repellant).

Functional diversity among sensory receptors in a Drosophila olfactory circuit

Significance The coding of olfactory information is based on the activity of odor receptors. The larval olfactory system of Drosophila contains 21 olfactory receptor neurons and a comparable number of odor receptors. Through a screen of >10,000 receptor–odorant combinations, we identify for each of 19 receptors an odorant that excites it strongly. These odorants elicited little cross-activation of other receptors under test conditions. Systematic analysis reveals dramatic diversity in the sensitivity and temporal dynamics of responses to cognate odorants. The odorants elicited diverse behavioral responses. The analysis provides a foundation for elucidating the circuitry that translates receptor responses into behavior. The ability of an animal to detect, discriminate, and respond to odors depends on the function of its olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs), which in turn depends ultimately on odorant receptors. To understand the diverse mechanisms used by an animal in olfactory coding and computation, it is essential to understand the functional diversity of its odor receptors. The larval olfactory system of Drosophila melanogaster contains 21 ORNs and a comparable number of odorant receptors whose properties have been examined in only a limited way. We systematically screened them with a panel of ∼500 odorants, yielding >10,000 receptor–odorant combinations. We identify for each of 19 receptors an odorant that excites it strongly. The responses elicited by each of these odorants are analyzed in detail. The odorants elicited little cross-activation of other receptors at the test concentration; thus, low concentrations of many of these odorants in nature may be signaled by a single ORN. The receptors differed dramatically in sensitivity to their cognate odorants. The responses showed diverse temporal dynamics, with some odorants eliciting supersustained responses. An intriguing question in the field concerns the roles of different ORNs and receptors in driving behavior. We found that the cognate odorants elicited behavioral responses that varied across a broad range. Some odorants elicited strong physiological responses but weak behavioral responses or weak physiological responses but strong behavioral responses.

FASt remodeling of synapses in Drosophila

Cell adhesion molecules of the immunoglobulin superfamily (IgCAMS) play pivotal roles during synapse development and remodeling, being required in both activity-dependent and activity independent aspects of these processes. Recent advances using the fruit fly neuromuscular junction, as well as the mollusk Aplysia californica, have provided evidence for at least three mechanisms by which levels of IgCAMs are regulated during synapse remodeling--activity-dependent regulation of IgCAM clustering by PSD-95-type molecules, IgCAM internalization by MAP kinase pathway activation, and postsynaptic IgCAM exocytosis. These studies offer convincing evidence that synaptic cell adhesion brings about both negative and positive forces that stabilize synapses, while maintaining their ability to change in an activity-dependent manner.

Similar Odorants Elicit Different Behavioral and Physiological Responses, Some Supersustained

An intriguing question in the field of olfaction is how animals distinguish among structurally similar odorants. We systematically analyzed olfactory responses elicited by a panel of 25 pyrazines. We found that structurally similar pyrazines elicit a wide range of behavioral responses from Drosophila larvae. Each pyrazine was tested against all functional receptors of the larval Odor receptor (Or) repertoire, yielding 525 odorant–receptor combinations. Different pyrazines vary markedly in the responses they elicit from the Or repertoire, with most strong responses deriving from two receptors, Or33b and Or59a. Surprisingly, 2-ethylpyrazine and 2-methylpyrazine, which elicit strikingly similar physiological responses across the receptor repertoire, elicit dramatically different behavioral responses. A small fraction of odorant-receptor combinations elicit remarkably long responses. These responses, which we term “supersustained” responses, are receptor specific and odorant specific, and can last for minutes. Such supersustained responses may prevent olfactory neurons from reporting contemporaneous information about the local odor environment. Odors that elicit such responses could provide a novel means of controlling insect pests and vectors of human disease by impairing the location of human hosts, food sources, and mates.