The Drosophila BMP Type II Receptor Wishful Thinking Regulates Neuromuscular Synapse Morphology and Function

• Published in: Neuron (Cambridge, Mass.) Vol. 33; no. 4; pp. 529 - 543
• Main Authors: Marqués, Guillermo, Bao, Hong, Haerry, Theodor E., Shimell, Mary Jane, Duchek, Peter, Zhang, Bing, O'Connor, Michael B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 14-02-2002; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Animals; Body Patterning - genetics; Bone morphogenetic protein receptors; Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptors, Type II; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins - genetics; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins - metabolism; Cell Differentiation - genetics; Central Nervous System - abnormalities; Central Nervous System - growth & development; Central Nervous System - ultrastructure; DNA, Complementary - genetics; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; DNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; Drosophila; Drosophila melanogaster - embryology; Drosophila melanogaster - growth & development; Drosophila melanogaster - ultrastructure; Drosophila Proteins - genetics; Drosophila Proteins - isolation & purification; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental - physiology; Genes, Lethal - genetics; Immunohistochemistry; Insects; Kinases; Ligands; Male; Molecular Sequence Data; Motor Neurons - metabolism; Motor Neurons - ultrastructure; Mutation - physiology; Neuromuscular Junction - abnormalities; Neuromuscular Junction - growth & development; Neuromuscular Junction - ultrastructure; Neuronal Plasticity - genetics; Neurotransmitter Agents - genetics; Neurotransmitter Agents - metabolism; Phenotype; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases - genetics; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases - isolation & purification; Proteins; Receptors, Cell Surface - genetics; Receptors, Cell Surface - isolation & purification; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; Signal Transduction - genetics; Transcription Factors; wishful thinking (wit) gene
• ISSN: 0896-6273; 1097-4199
• DOI: 10.1016/S0896-6273(02)00595-0

Proper synaptic development is critical for establishing all aspects of neural function including learning, memory, and locomotion. Here, we describe the phenotypic consequences of mutations in the
wishful thinking (
wit) gene, the
Drosophila homolog of the vertebrate BMP type II receptor. Mutations in
wit result in pharate lethality that can be rescued by expression of a
wit transgene in motor neurons but not in muscles. Mutant larvae exhibit small synapses, severe defects in evoked junctional potentials, a lower frequency of spontaneous vesicle release, and an alteration in the ultrastructure of synaptic active zones. These results reveal a novel role for BMP signaling in regulating
Drosophila neuromuscular junction synapse assembly and activity and may indicate that similar pathways could govern vertebrate synapse development.