, 2006, Carrillo et al., 2010, Matthes et al., 1995 and Winberg et al., 1998a), whereas Sema-2b™ GOF in muscle-12 had no affect
on ISNb RP5 formation ( Figure 4L, arrowheads and Figure S4D). However, Sema-2b™ overexpression in peripheral muscle-12 did have a pronounced Bortezomib supplier effect on the lateral branches of the SNa pathway, which were observed to retain ectopic contact with muscle-12 in ∼30% of hemisegments, a phenotype never observed in wild-type embryos ( Figure 4L, arrows, and Figures S4D and S4E). Overexpression of Sema-2a™ from the same muscle had no effect on SNa motor axons ( Figure 4K, arrows, and Figure S4D), further demonstrating that Sema-2a and Sema-2b mediate distinct guidance functions. Taken together, these GOF experiments demonstrate that Sema-2a and Sema-2b function differently in both CNS longitudinal connectives and motor axons: Sema-2b functions to promote axonal attraction, whereas Sema-2a functions as a repellent. To understand how PlexB mediates secreted semaphorin signaling during selleck chemicals llc CNS development, we first examined its requirement for 2b-τMyc pathway formation. In PlexB−/−
mutant embryos the 2b-τMyc pathway formation is severely disrupted; 2b-τMyc longitudinally projecting axons are often defasciculated, and individual axons are diverted both medially and laterally ( Figures 5A and 5H). This phenotype is a combination of both the Sema-2a−/− and Sema-2b−/− mutant phenotypes ( Figures 5G and 5H). Using the elav-GAL4 driver to express PlexB in all neurons in the PlexB−/− mutant, we observed full rescue of the 2b-τMyc pathway ( Figure 5B) and also full rescue, as previously reported ( Ayoob et al., 2006), of the adjacent
1D4-i tract ( Figure 5C). These data further support PlexB functioning to integrate both Sema-2a-mediated repulsion and Sema-2b-mediated attraction, resulting in proper organization of select CNS longitudinal tracts. PlexB is enriched in the intermediate and lateral regions of the CNS scaffold (Figures S5A–S5C). To determine in which neurons PlexB functions, we next assessed the requirement for PlexB in distinct neuronal populations. In a wild-type background, pan-neuronal overexpression, using the elav-GAL4 driver of a modified PlexB receptor lacking its cytoplasmic domain (PlexBEcTM) leads to the Dipeptidyl peptidase disorganization of both the 2b-τMyc pathway and the 1D4-i tract ( Figure 5D), phenocopying the PlexB−/− null mutant and showing that PlexBEcTM functions as a dominant-negative receptor. The MP1 neurons, which can be genetically labeled by the sim-GAL4 driver ( Hulsmeier et al., 2007), serve as pioneer axons for the 1D4-i tract ( Figures S5D–S5F) ( Hidalgo and Brand, 1997). The MP1 longitudinal pathway resides in the same intermediate region as the 2b-τMyc pathway and lies directly adjacent to it ( Figures S5G–S5I). Expressing PlexBEcTM selectively in these neurons disrupts 1D4-i tract formation; however, the 2b-τMyc pathway remains intact ( Figure 5E and Figures S5J–S5L).