Nmnat exerts neuroprotective effects in dendrites and axons.

ABSTRACT: Dendrites can be maintained for extended periods of time after they initially establish coverage of their receptive field. The long-term maintenance of dendrites underlies synaptic connectivity, but how neurons establish and then maintain their dendritic arborization patterns throughout development is not well understood. Here, we show that the NAD synthase Nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase (Nmnat) is cell-autonomously required for maintaining type-specific dendritic coverage of Drosophila dendritic arborization (da) sensory neurons. In nmnat heterozygous mutants, dendritic arborization patterns of class IV da neurons are properly established before increased retraction and decreased growth of terminal branches lead to progressive defects in dendritic coverage during later st

SUBMITTER: Wen Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3152617 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature