Loss of Pseudouridine Synthases in the RluA Family Causes Hypersensitive Nociception in Drosophila.

ABSTRACT: Nociceptive neurons of Drosophila melanogaster larvae are characterized by highly branched dendritic processes whose proper morphogenesis relies on a large number of RNA-binding proteins. Post-transcriptional regulation of RNA in these dendrites has been found to play an important role in their function. Here, we investigate the neuronal functions of two putative RNA modification genes, RluA-1 and RluA-2, which are predicted to encode pseudouridine synthases. RluA-1 is specifically expressed in larval sensory neurons while RluA-2 expression is ubiquitous. Nociceptor-specific RNAi knockdown of RluA-1 caused hypersensitive nociception phenotypes, which were recapitulated with genetic null alleles. These were rescued with genomic duplication and nocic

SUBMITTER: Song W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7718762 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature