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First published online May 2, 2008
Journal of Experimental Biology 211, 1645-1656 (2008)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2008
doi: 10.1242/jeb.014472
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Synaptic transmission in neurons that express the Drosophila atypical soluble guanylyl cyclases, Gyc-89Da and Gyc-89Db, is necessary for the successful completion of larval and adult ecdysis

David B. Morton*, Judith A. Stewart, Kristofor K. Langlais, Rachel A. Clemens-Grisham and Anke Vermehren

Department of Integrative Biosciences, Oregon Health and Science University, 611 SW Campus Drive, Portland, OR 97239, USA


Figure 1
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Fig. 1. Upstream regions of Gyc-89Da and Gyc-89Db drive green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression in sensory neurons in larvae in a similar pattern to that seen with in situ hybridization for Gyc-89Da and Gyc-89Db in embryos. Second instar larvae containing the p89Da-GFP (B,E,H,K) or p89Db-GFP (C,F,I,L) transgenes were examined for GFP fluorescence and compared with embryos stained with a digoxigenin-labeled riboprobe for Gyc-89Db (A,D,G,J). Anterior is to the left (A–C) or up (D–L). (A–C) Low magnification showing the three populations of sensory neurons stained: chemosensory neurons in the dorsal ganglion (DG) and terminal ganglion (TG), external sensilla (ES) neurons and neurons in the terminal sensory organs (SO). (D–F) High magnification of the lateral body wall showing a neuron innervating the external sensilla. (G–I) High magnification of the anterior end of embryo or larvae showing neurons in the dorsal ganglion and terminal ganglion that innervate the dorsal organ (DO) and terminal organ, respectively. p89Db-GFP also drives GFP expression in neurons in the monoscolopidial organ (mc). (J–L) High magnification of the posterior end of embryo or larvae showing a single neuron innervating each terminal sensory organ. Fluorescence seen in tracheae is due to autofluorescence. Scale bars represent 200 µm (A), 500 µm (B,C), 50 µm (D,G,J) and 100 µm (E,F,H,I,K,L).

 

Figure 2
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Fig. 2. Relatively few neurons co-express Gyc-89Da and Gyc-89Db. Flies were crossed to generate animals containing p89Da-GFP, p89Db-GAL4 and UAS-dsRed. Each panel shows a confocal z-stack, collapsed into a single plane with the red color representing cells expressing Gyc-89Da and the green color representing cells expressing Gyc-89Db. (A–D) Third instar larvae. (E) Adult. (A) Dorsal view (anterior is up) of the terminal organ (TO), terminal ganglion (TG), dorsal organ (DO) and dorsal ganglion (DG). Both ganglia contain cells that express either Gyc-89Da or Gyc-89Db but no cell shows co-expression of the two subunit genes. Also shown are two neurons that are part of the monoscolopidial organ (mc) that only express Gyc-89Db. (B) Lateral body wall showing the third thoracic (T3) and first two abdominal segments (A1 and A2). In T3 two neurons express both Gyc-89Da and Gyc-89Db (asterisks): a single `les' neuron (upper) and a single `ves' neuron (lower). In A1 and A2 a single `td' neuron expresses only Gyc-89Db (filled arrowheads). The fine red lines are trachea closely associated with fine branches from the two td neurons (open arrowheads). (C) Terminal segment showing the caudal sensory cones (SO1–SO7). Each cone contains a single neuron that co-expresses Gyc-89Da and Gyc-89Db. The inset shows a single neuron extending a neurite to a cuticular peg sensillum (p). (D) Larval CNS showing extensive expression of each subunit but no overlap in brain lobes (bl) and ventral nerve cord (vnc). Expression is also seen in the ring gland (rg). (E) Adult brain also shows extensive, non-overlapping expression of Gyc-89da and Gyc-89Db. A, anterior; P, posterior; e, eyes. Fluorescence seen in tracheae is due to autofluorescence. Scale bars represent 40 µm (A), 50 µm (C), 100 µm (B,D,E) and 25 µm (C inset).

 

Figure 3
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Fig. 3. Effect of expression of tetanus toxin (TNT) in the Gyc-89Da and Gyc-89Db neurons on survival during development. Flies expressing GAL4 under the control of the Gyc-89Da and Gyc-89Db promoters (p89Da-GAL4 and p89Db-GAL4, respectively) were crossed with flies expressing the active (TNTa) and inactive (TNTi) forms of the light chain of tetanus toxin (TNT) under the control of the UAS promoter (UAS-TNTa and UAS-TNTi, respectively) and the survival of the progeny determined at the stages shown. Survival rates for progeny of UAS-TNTa flies are shown with solid lines and those for progeny from UAS-TNTi flies with broken lines; those from p89Da-GAL4 flies are shown by filled symbols and those from p89Db-GAL4 flies by open symbols. The data represent the percentage survival calculated from the number of eggs laid and are the mean ± s.e.m. of at least three trials using up to 300 progeny per trial. For each developmental stage the experimental and control groups were compared statistically using Student's paired t-tests and asterisks indicate P<0.05.

 

Figure 4
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Fig. 4. Rescue of lethality at the third larval instar of p89Da-GAL4 x UAS-TNTa progeny by preventing burrowing. Early third instar larvae were placed either in vials or on a thin disc of food and the number that successfully formed puparia were counted. The data represent the percentage survival (mean ± s.e.m.) of four trials each using 100–300 animals. The asterisk represents a significant (Student's t-test, P<0.05) reduction in survival between progeny from UAS-TNTa flies (filled bars) compared with UAS-TNTi (open bars) when raised in vials, whereas no significant difference in survival was seen when larvae were raised on thin food discs. The majority of the dead animals found in the vials were late third instar larvae found deep in the food.

 

Figure 5
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Fig. 5. Gyc-89Da and Gyc-89Db are not expressed in EH or CCAP cells, but are expressed in some peptidergic cells. Crosses were made to generate larvae containing the following transgenes: (A) p89Da-GFP, EH-GAL4 and UAS-dsRed; (B) p89Db-GFP, EH-GAL4 and UAS-dsRed; (C) p89Da-GFP, CCAP-GAL4 and UAS-dsRed; (D) p89Db-GFP, CCAP-GAL4 and UAS-dsRed; (E) p89Da-GFP, dimmed-GAL4 and UAS-dsRed; (F) p89Db-GFP, dimmed-GAL4 and UAS-dsRed. In A and B the EH neurons are indicated with arrows and in C and D the arrows indicate CCAP neurons. Arrowheads in C and D indicate neurons that express Gyc-89Da and Gyc-89Db, respectively. In E and F the arrowheads indicate the neurons in the CNS that express both dimmed and Gyc-89Da or Gyc-89Db. Additional cells the express the atypical sGCs and dimmed are intrinsic cells in the ring gland, which are indicated with arrows. The scale bar represents 50 µm.

 

Figure 6
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Fig. 6. TNT expression early in adult development is required in both Gyc-89Da and Gyc-89Db neurons to block eclosion. (A–C) Expression of dsRed in CNS of p89Da-GAL4;tubP-GAL80ts;UAS-dsRed-expressing developing adults. Animals were raised at 18°C until 96 h after white puparium formation and then transferred to 30°C. After 0 (A), 7 (B) and 16 h (C) the brain was removed and observed under fluorescence optics. Expression of dsRed in the CNS was seen 7 h after transfer to 30°C. (D) Eclosion rates of flies that express TNTa at different times of adult development in the Gyc-89Da (filled symbols) and Gyc-89Db (open symbols) neurons. Larvae containing tubP-GAL80ts and p89Da-GAL4 or p89Db-GAL4 and UAS-TNTa (solid line) or UAS-TNTi (broken line) were raised at 18°C until white puparium formation and then transferred to 30°C at the times shown. The majority of animals transferred early in adult development (24–48 h after white puparium) had a low eclosion rate whereas those transferred after about 100 h showed little difference in their eclosion rates compared with controls.

 

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© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2008