The secreted neurotrophin Spatzle 3 promotes glial morphogenesis and supports neuronal survival and function.

ABSTRACT: Most glial functions depend on establishing intimate morphological relationships with neurons. Significant progress has been made in understanding neuron-glia signaling at synaptic and axonal contacts, but how glia support neuronal cell bodies is unclear. Here we explored the growth and functions of Drosophila cortex glia (which associate almost exclusively with neuronal cell bodies) to understand glia-soma interactions. We show that cortex glia tile with one another and with astrocytes to establish unique central nervous system (CNS) spatial domains that actively restrict glial growth, and selective ablation of cortex glia causes animal lethality. In an RNAi-based screen, we identified αSNAP (soluble NSF [N-ethylmalemeide-sensitive factor] attachment protein α) and several componen

SUBMITTER: Coutinho-Budd JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5733495 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature