From Time to Time: Exploring the Context-Dependent Regulation and Function of Nanos and Pumilio in the Drosophila Nervous System

Abstract

RNA binding proteins (RBPs) are critical for proper development and function of the Drosophila nervous system. While RBP function has been established in neurons during the larval and adult stages alone, the roles of RBPs in the subset of neurons that persist from the larva to the adult have not been explored. To determine how these neurons respond to changed RBP activity in different developmental contexts, we studied the effects of altered Nanos (Nos) and Pumilio (Pum) levels in class IV dendritic arborization (C4da) abdominal sensory neuron dendrite growth and in ecdysis signaling neuron behavior. We find that adult C4da neuron dendrite morphogenesis is sensitive to both Nos and Pum levels in ways that are distinct from the larval C4da neurons. In contrast, both larval and adult neurons in the ecdysis signaling pathway are impaired by nos overexpression. However, ectopic Nos only affects a specific group of adult ecdysis signaling neurons during a critical period of metamorphosis. These results suggest that regulation of RBP activity is important for maintaining overall morphogenesis and function in neurons that persist during metamorphosis.