Fruit fly studies shed light on adaptability
Takashi Suzuki
Atsushi Sugie
T-shaped structures at the presynaptic membrane tether synaptic vesicles and control the release of neurotransmitters to the postsynaptic neuron. By tagging proteins that are crucial to these T-shaped structures the researchers revealed a drop in a subset of active zone proteins, while others remained unchanged. Further, they found that corresponding to the loss of structural proteins, the number of T-shaped structures was also reduced.
The researchers were also able to identify that a feedback mechanism was responsible for these changes and that it relied on the signalling protein Wnt. The results contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying brain functions such as learning and memory. Future work may investigate how modifying the Wnt signal can be used to manipulate synaptic plasticity, with possible therapeutic applications for neurodegenerative or mental diseases.
“This synaptic change might reflect an innate neuronal property that leads to protection from excessive stimuli,” explains Dr. Atsushi Sugie, the study's lead author. “By enhancing this property, we might be able to protect neurons from degeneration or cell death.”
Original publication
Atsushi Sugie, Satoko Hakeda-Suzuki, Emiko Suzuki, Marion Silies, Mai Shimozono, Christoph Mohl, Takashi Suzuki* and Gaia Tavosanis; "Molecular Remodelling of the Presynaptic Active Zone of Drosophila Photoreceptors via Activity-Dependent Feedback"; Neuron 86, 1-15, 2015.