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Updated: May 9, 2026
11:08
Recording Temperature-induced Neuronal Activity through Monitoring Calcium Changes in the Olfactory Bulb of Xenopus laevis
Published on: June 3, 2016
Heterophilic interactions between cell-surface proteins Teneurin-m and Capricious drive dendrite segregation in the
Hui Ji1,2, Jingxian Li3,4,5,6, Yizhen Xu1,2
1Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|May 8, 2026
Summary
Two cell-surface proteins, Teneurin-m (Ten-m) and Capricious (Caps), drive dendrite segregation in the Drosophila olfactory system. Their inverse expression and mutual repulsion ensure neurons form distinct spatial domains.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Neural circuit assembly requires precise wiring of neuronal connections.
- Dendrite segregation into discrete spatial domains is crucial for functional circuit formation.
- The molecular mechanisms governing dendrite segregation remain largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying dendrite segregation in the Drosophila olfactory system.
- To identify cell-surface proteins involved in establishing distinct dendritic territories.
- To elucidate the role of heterophilic interactions in neuronal wiring.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Drosophila olfactory system as a model organism.
- Investigated the expression patterns of Teneurin-m (Ten-m) and Capricious (Caps) proteins.
- Performed genetic manipulations to assess the function of Ten-m and Caps in dendrite segregation.
- Employed structure-guided mutagenesis to analyze protein-protein interactions.
Main Results:
- Ten-m and Caps are expressed in inverse patterns across projection neuron (PN) types.
- Loss of Ten-m or Caps leads to dendrite invasion into neighboring territories.
- Disrupting Ten-m-Caps binding abolishes dendrite segregation.
- Homophilic Ten-m interactions are distinct from heterophilic Ten-m-Caps interactions.
Conclusions:
- Heterophilic interactions between Ten-m and Caps drive dendrite segregation.
- Mutual repulsion mediated by inversely expressed cell-surface proteins is a key mechanism for forming discrete dendritic territories.
- This study provides a molecular basis for understanding neural circuit assembly and spatial domain formation.
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