QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Zelhof, A. C. Articles by Doe, C. Q. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Zelhof, A. C. Articles by Doe, C. Q.

Drosophila Amphiphysin is implicated in protein localization and membrane morphogenesis but not in synaptic vesicle endocytosis

¹ Institute of Neuroscience, HHMI, University of Oregon 1254, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
² Section of Neurobiology, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin. Austin, TX 78712, USA
³ Department of Biology, HHMI, University of California, San Diego. La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
⁴ Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EH, UK
⁵ Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK

*Authors for correspondence (e-mail: cdoe{at}uoneuro.uoregon.edu and azelhof{at}biomail.ucsd.edu)

Accepted September 26, 2001

Amphiphysin family members are implicated in synaptic vesicle endocytosis, actin localization and one isoform is an autoantigen in neurological autoimmune disorder; however, there has been no genetic analysis of Amphiphysin function in higher eukaryotes. We show that Drosophila Amphiphysin is localized to actin-rich membrane domains in many cell types, including apical epithelial membranes, the intricately folded apical rhabdomere membranes of photoreceptor neurons and the postsynaptic density of glutamatergic neuromuscular junctions. Flies that lack all Amphiphysin function are viable, lack any observable endocytic defects, but have abnormal localization of the postsynaptic proteins Discs large, Lethal giant larvae and Scribble, altered synaptic physiology, and behavioral defects. Misexpression of Amphiphysin outside its normal membrane domain in photoreceptor neurons results in striking morphological defects. The strong misexpression phenotype coupled with the mild mutant and lack of phenotypes suggests that Amphiphysin acts redundantly with other proteins to organize specialized membrane domains within a diverse array of cell types.

Key words: Synapse, Postsynaptic density, Apical membrane, Membrane morphogenesis, Drosophila

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. D. Rogat and K. G. Miller A role for myosin VI in actin dynamics at sites of membrane remodeling during Drosophila spermatogenesis J. Cell Sci., March 14, 2003; 115(24): 4855 - 4865. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Rikhy, V. Kumar, R. Mittal, and K. S. Krishnan Endophilin Is Critically Required for Synapse Formation and Function in Drosophila melanogaster J. Neurosci., September 1, 2002; 22(17): 7478 - 7484. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]