Browsing by keyword "axon death"
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The Transcription Factor Pebbled/RREB1 Regulates Injury-Induced Axon DegenerationNeurons establish complex networks within the nervous system allowing for rapid cell-cell communication via their long, thin axonal processes. These wire-thin projections are susceptible to a number of insults or injuries, and axonal damage can lead to disruption in signal propagation and an overall dysfunction of the neural network. Recent research focused on investigating the underlying mechanisms of injury-induced axon degeneration led to the discovery of a number of endogenous, pro-degenerative molecules such as dSarm/Sarm1, Highwire/Phr1, and Axundead. These signaling molecules are thought to execute axon degeneration in response to injury locally within the distal severed axon, but the exact mechanism of action is unclear. To further identify novel participants of the axon death signaling cascade, we performed an unbiased forward genetic mutagenesis screen using the sensory neurons within the adult wing of Drosophila melanogaster. We identified a novel role for the C2H2 zinc finger transcription factor, Pebbled (Peb)/Ras-responsive element binding protein 1 (RREB1) in partially suppressing injury-induced axon degeneration. Loss of function peb mutant glutamatergic neurons present two distinct axon degeneration defects: either complete protection from axotomy, or they exhibit a novel phenotype in which axons fragment into long, continuous pieces instead of undergoing complete degeneration. Additionally, we show an enhancement of the peb protective phenotype when dSarm levels are decreased, but not with reduced levels of axundead. These data provide the first evidence of a transcription factor involved in regulating injury-induced axon degeneration signaling in vivo.
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Transcription factor Pebbled/RREB1 regulates injury-induced axon degenerationGenetic studies of Wallerian degeneration have led to the identification of signaling molecules (e.g., dSarm/Sarm1, Axundead, and Highwire) that function locally in axons to drive degeneration. Here we identify a role for the Drosophila C2H2 zinc finger transcription factor Pebbled [Peb, Ras-responsive element binding protein 1 (RREB1) in mammals] in axon death. Loss of Peb in Drosophila glutamatergic sensory neurons results in either complete preservation of severed axons, or an axon death phenotype where axons fragment into large, continuous segments, rather than completely disintegrate. Peb is expressed in developing and mature sensory neurons, suggesting it is required to establish or maintain their competence to undergo axon death. peb mutant phenotypes can be rescued by human RREB1, and they exhibit dominant genetic interactions with dsarm mutants, linking peb/RREB1 to the axon death signaling cascade. Surprisingly, Peb is only able to fully block axon death signaling in glutamatergic, but not cholinergic sensory neurons, arguing for genetic diversity in axon death signaling programs in different neuronal subtypes. Our findings identify a transcription factor that regulates axon death signaling, and peb mutant phenotypes of partial fragmentation reveal a genetically accessible step in axon death signaling.
