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Labeling of Single Cells in the Central Nervous System of Drosophila melanogaster

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Axon-dendrite and apical-basolateral sorting in a single neuron.

Monique Lillis¹, Nathan J Zaccardi¹, Maxwell G Heiman¹

¹Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

|March 4, 2022

Summary

Cellular organization is complex. This study reveals that Caenorhabditis elegans neurons can sort proteins both neuronally (axon-dendrite) and epithelially (apical-basolateral), with short motifs controlling protein localization.

Keywords:

Caenorhabditis elegans apical-basolateral axon-dendrite polarity sensory cells trafficking

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Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Neuroscience
Developmental Biology

Background:

Cells possess specialized compartments, with proteins localized to specific regions like neuronal axons/dendrites or epithelial apical/basolateral surfaces.
Sensory cells, such as photoreceptors and olfactory neurons, exhibit characteristics of both neurons and epithelial cells.
Understanding protein sorting mechanisms is crucial for cellular organization and function.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how proteins are sorted within specialized compartments of Caenorhabditis elegans amphid neurons.
To determine the role of cytoplasmic tail sequences in directing protein localization.
To explore the coexistence of neuronal and epithelial protein sorting pathways within a single cell.

Main Methods:

Utilized minimal synthetic transmembrane proteins to study protein localization.
Investigated the function of the cytoplasmic tail of the conserved adhesion molecule SAX-7/L1CAM.
Analyzed the effects of altering specific amino acid residues within sorting motifs.

Main Results:

The cytoplasmic tail of SAX-7 is necessary and sufficient for basolateral localization.
Short sequences within the tail, resembling dileucine and Tyr-based motifs, mediate basolateral sorting.
Disrupting or enhancing these motifs altered protein localization to apical or axonal compartments.
Subtle changes to short motifs can redirect proteins between apical, basolateral, and axonal pathways.

Conclusions:

Axon-dendrite and apical-basolateral sorting pathways can coexist within the same cell.
Short sequence motifs play a critical role in directing protein localization.
Fine-tuning these motifs allows for precise control over protein distribution, influencing cellular function.