JNK signaling coordinates with ecdysone signaling to promote dendrite pruning ofDrosophilasensory neurons

Abstract

Developmental pruning of axons and dendrites is crucial for the formation of precise neuronal connections, but the mechanisms underlying developmental pruning are not fully understood. Here, we have investigated the function of JNK signaling in dendrite pruning using Drosophila class IV dendritic arborization (c4da) neurons as a model. We find that loss of JNK or its canonical downstream effectors Jun or Fos led to dendrite-pruning defects in c4da neurons. Interestingly, our data show that JNK activity in c4da neurons remains constant from larval to pupal stages but the expression of Fos is specifically activated by ecdysone receptor B1 (EcRB1) at early pupal stages, suggesting that ecdysone signaling provides temporal control of the regulation of dendrite pruning by JNK signaling. Thus, our work not only identifies a novel pathway involved in dendrite pruning and a new downstream target of EcRB1 in c4da neurons, but also reveals that JNK and Ecdysone signaling coordinate to promote dendrite pruning.

JNK signaling regulates oviposition in the malaria vectorAnopheles gambiae

“…Although the mating-mediated mechanisms controlling egg laying remain largely elusive, the data presented here provide clear evidence of collaboration between 20E and the JNK pathway to induce oviposition. In fact, such collaboration is well documented during larval/pupal metamorphosis in Drosophila , where 20E and the JNK pathway together drive waves of apoptosis which control the reshaping or destruction of obsolete larval tissues (Lehmann et al, 2002) as well as the remodeling of neuronal connections in the larval brain by axon and dendrite pruning (Zhu et al, 2019). It is plausible that an irreversible process of this type might regulate the lifelong behavioral changes induced by mating in An.…”

JNK Signaling Pathway Involvement in Spinal Cord Neuron Development and Death

“…Loss of JNK or its canonical downstream effectors Jun or Fos led to dendrite-pruning defects in c4da neurons. Furthermore, Wnt5 signaling seems to be required for the regulation of dendritogenesis in Drosophila neurons and genetically interacts with JNK signaling pathway [34].…”

JNK signaling regulates oviposition in the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae

“…Although the mating-mediated mechanisms controlling egg laying remain largely elusive, the data presented here provide clear evidence of collaboration between 20E and the JNK pathway to induce oviposition. In fact, such collaboration is well documented during larval/pupal metamorphosis in Drosophila, where 20E and the JNK pathway together drive waves of apoptosis which control the reshaping or destruction of obsolete larval tissues 55 as well as the remodeling of neuronal connections in the larval brain by axon and dendrite pruning 56 . It is plausible that an irreversible process of this type might regulate the lifelong behavioral changes induced by mating in An.…”