Reference Report

Reference
Citation	Beuchle, D., Schwarz, H., Langegger, M., Koch, I., Aberle, H. (2007). Drosophila MICAL regulates myofilament organization and synaptic structure. Mech. Dev. 124(5): 390--406. (Export to RIS)
FlyBase ID	FBrf0200539
Publication Type	Research paper
PubMed ID	17350233
PubMed Abstract	The overall size and structure of a synaptic terminal is an important determinant of its function. In a large-scale mutagenesis screen, designed to identify Drosophila mutants with abnormally structured neuromuscular junctions (NMJs), we discovered mutations in Drosophila mical, a conserved gene encoding a multi-domain protein with a N-terminal monooxygenase domain. In mical mutants, synaptic boutons do not sprout normally over the muscle surface and tend to form clusters along synaptic branches and at nerve entry sites. Consistent with high expression of MICAL in somatic muscles, immunohistochemical stainings reveal that the subcellular localization and architecture of contractile muscle filaments are dramatically disturbed in mical mutants. Instead of being integrated into a regular sarcomeric pattern, actin and myosin filaments are disorganized and accumulate beneath the plasmamembrane. Whereas contractile elements are strongly deranged, the proposed organizer of sarcomeric structure, D-Titin, is much less affected. Transgenic expression of interfering RNA molecules demonstrates that MICAL is required in muscles for the higher order arrangement of myofilaments. Ultrastructural analysis confirms that myosin-rich thick filaments enter submembranous regions and interfere with synaptic development, indicating that the disorganized myofilaments may cause the synaptic growth phenotype. As a model, we suggest that the filamentous network around synaptic boutons restrains the spreading of synaptic branches.
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Secondary IDs	FBrf0194828
Language of Publication	English
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Parent Publication
Publication Type	Journal
Abbreviation	Mech. Dev.
Title	Mechanisms of Development
Publication Year	1990-
ISBN/ISSN	0925-4773
Data from Reference
Aberrations (1)
	Df(3R)swp2^MICAL
Alleles (15)
	Mical^G56 Mical^G158 Mical^GD9629 Mical^I666 Mical^I696 Mical^I1367 Mical^K583 Mical^K1496 Mical^Scer\UAS.cTa Mical^unspecified Scer\GAL4^elav.PLu Scer\GAL4^how-24B Scer\GAL4^Mef2.PR Scer\GAL4^VGlut-OK371 Sh^{Mhc.T:Avic\GFP-S65T,T:Hsap\CD8A}
Constructs (5)
	P{GAL4-elav.L} P{GAL4-Mef2.R} P{GD9629} P{Mhc.CD8-GFP-Sh} P{UAS-MICAL.T}
Genes (22)
	Art4 brp CG3909 CG3925 CG5359 CG11722 CG12811 dlg1 Fancl Fas2 futsch Glut4EF Gr85a Mhc Mical mtTFB2 Scer\GAL4 Sh sls Spn85F Syt1 VGlut
Insertions (2)
	P{GawB}how^24B P{GawB}VGlut^OK371