The Arf-GEF Schizo/Loner regulates N-cadherin to induce fusion competence of Drosophila myoblasts

Christine Dottermusch-Heidel; Verena Groth; Lothar Beck; Susanne-Filiz Önel

doi:10.1016/j.ydbio.2012.04.031

The Arf-GEF Schizo/Loner regulates N-cadherin to induce fusion competence of Drosophila myoblasts

Dev Biol. 2012 Aug 1;368(1):18-27. doi: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2012.04.031. Epub 2012 May 14.

Authors

Christine Dottermusch-Heidel¹, Verena Groth, Lothar Beck, Susanne-Filiz Önel

Affiliation

¹ Fachbereich Biologie, Entwicklungsbiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch Str. 8, D-35043 Marburg, Germany.

PMID: 22595515
DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2012.04.031

Abstract

Myoblast fusion is a key process in multinucleated muscle formation. Prior to fusion, myoblasts recognize and adhere to each other with the aid of cell-adhesion proteins integrated into the membrane. Their intracellular domains participate in signal transduction by binding to cytoplasmic proteins. Here we identified the calcium-dependent cell-adhesion protein N-cadherin as the binding partner of the guanine-nucleotide exchange factor Schizo/Loner in Drosophila melanogaster. N-cadherin was expressed in founder cells and fusion-competent myoblasts of Drosophila during the first fusion phase. Our genetic analyses demonstrated that the myoblast fusion defect of schizo/loner mutants is rescued in part by the loss-of-function mutation of N-cadherin, which suggests that Schizo/Loner is a negative regulator of N-cadherin. Based on our findings, we propose a model where N-cadherin must be removed from the myoblast membrane to induce a protein-free zone at the cell-cell contact point to permit fusion.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

ADP-Ribosylation Factor 1 / genetics
ADP-Ribosylation Factor 1 / metabolism*
Animals
Animals, Genetically Modified
Binding Sites / genetics
Cadherins / genetics
Cadherins / metabolism*
Cell Fusion
Cell Line
Cell Membrane / metabolism
Cells, Cultured
Drosophila Proteins / genetics
Drosophila Proteins / metabolism*
Drosophila melanogaster / embryology
Drosophila melanogaster / genetics
Drosophila melanogaster / metabolism*
Embryo, Nonmammalian / cytology
Embryo, Nonmammalian / embryology
Embryo, Nonmammalian / metabolism
Female
Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / genetics
Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / metabolism*
Immunohistochemistry
Luminescent Proteins / genetics
Luminescent Proteins / metabolism
Male
Mutation
Myoblasts / cytology
Myoblasts / metabolism*
Protein Binding
Two-Hybrid System Techniques

Substances

CadN protein, Drosophila
Cadherins
Drosophila Proteins
Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors
Luminescent Proteins
Siz protein, Drosophila
ADP-Ribosylation Factor 1