Glial and neuronal Semaphorin signaling instruct the development of a functional myotopic map for Drosophila walking

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Abstract

Motoneurons developmentally acquire appropriate cellular architectures that ensure connections with postsynaptic muscles and presynaptic neurons. In Drosophila, leg motoneurons are organized as a myotopic map, where their dendritic domains represent the muscle field. Here we investigate mechanisms underlying development of aspects of this myotopic map, required for walking. A behavioral screen identified roles for Semaphorins (Sema) and Plexins (Plex) in walking behavior. Deciphering this phenotype, we show that PlexA/Sema1a mediates motoneuron axon branching in ways that differ in the proximal femur and distal tibia, based on motoneuronal birth order. Importantly, we show a novel role for glia in positioning dendrites of specific motoneurons; PlexB/Sema2a is required for dendritic positioning of late-born motoneurons but not early-born motoneurons. These findings indicate that communication within motoneurons and between glia and motoneurons, mediated by the combined action of different Plexin/Semaphorin signaling systems, are required for the formation of a functional myotopic map.

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Durafshan Sakeena Syed

National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India

Competing interests
No competing interests declared.
Swetha BM

National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India

Competing interests
No competing interests declared.
O Venkateswara Reddy

National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India

Competing interests
No competing interests declared.
Heinrich Reichert

Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

Competing interests
No competing interests declared.
K VijayRaghavan

National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India

For correspondence
vijay@ncbs.res.in

Competing interests
K VijayRaghavan, Senior editor, eLife.

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