TY - JOUR
T1 - The DEG/ENaC cation channel protein UNC-8 drives activity-dependent synapse removal in remodeling GABAergic neurons
AU - Miller-Fleming, Tyne W.
AU - Petersen, Sarah C.
AU - Manning, Laura
AU - Matthewman, Cristina
AU - Gornet, Megan
AU - Beers, Allison
AU - Hori, Sayaka
AU - Mitani, Shohei
AU - Bianchi, Laura
AU - Richmond, Janet
AU - Miller, David M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Miller-Fleming et al.
PY - 2016/7/12
Y1 - 2016/7/12
N2 - Genetic programming and neural activity drive synaptic remodeling in developing neural circuits, but the molecular components that link these pathways are poorly understood. Here we show that the C. elegans Degenerin/Epithelial Sodium Channel (DEG/ENaC) protein, UNC-8, is transcriptionally controlled to function as a trigger in an activity-dependent mechanism that removes synapses in remodeling GABAergic neurons. UNC-8 cation channel activity promotes disassembly of presynaptic domains in DD type GABA neurons, but not in VD class GABA neurons where unc-8 expression is blocked by the COUP/TF transcription factor, UNC-55. We propose that the depolarizing effect of UNC-8-dependent sodium import elevates intracellular calcium in a positive feedback loop involving the voltage-gated calcium channel UNC-2 and the calcium- activated phosphatase TAX-6/calcineurin to initiate a caspase-dependent mechanism that disassembles the presynaptic apparatus. Thus, UNC-8 serves as a link between genetic and activity- dependent pathways that function together to promote the elimination of GABA synapses in remodeling neurons.
AB - Genetic programming and neural activity drive synaptic remodeling in developing neural circuits, but the molecular components that link these pathways are poorly understood. Here we show that the C. elegans Degenerin/Epithelial Sodium Channel (DEG/ENaC) protein, UNC-8, is transcriptionally controlled to function as a trigger in an activity-dependent mechanism that removes synapses in remodeling GABAergic neurons. UNC-8 cation channel activity promotes disassembly of presynaptic domains in DD type GABA neurons, but not in VD class GABA neurons where unc-8 expression is blocked by the COUP/TF transcription factor, UNC-55. We propose that the depolarizing effect of UNC-8-dependent sodium import elevates intracellular calcium in a positive feedback loop involving the voltage-gated calcium channel UNC-2 and the calcium- activated phosphatase TAX-6/calcineurin to initiate a caspase-dependent mechanism that disassembles the presynaptic apparatus. Thus, UNC-8 serves as a link between genetic and activity- dependent pathways that function together to promote the elimination of GABA synapses in remodeling neurons.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84983087104&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.7554/eLife.14599
DO - 10.7554/eLife.14599
M3 - Article
C2 - 27403890
AN - SCOPUS:84983087104
SN - 2050-084X
VL - 5
JO - eLife
JF - eLife
IS - JULY
M1 - e14599
ER -