The Drosophila CG1674 gene encodes a synaptopodin 2‐like related protein that localizes to the Z‐disc and is required for normal flight muscle development and function

Abstract

Background: To identify novel myofibrillar components of the Drosophila flight muscles, we carried out a proteomic analysis of chemically demembranated flight muscle myofibrils, and characterized the knockdown phenotype of a novel gene identified in the screen, CG1674. Results: The CG1674 protein has some similarity to vertebrate synaptopodin 2-like, and when expressed as a FLAG-tagged fusion protein, it was localized during development to the Z-disc and cytoplasm. Knockdown of CG1674 expression affected the function of multiple muscle types, and defective flight in adults was accompanied by large actin-rich structures in the flight muscles that resembled overgrown Z-discs. Localization of CG1674 to the Z-disc depended predominantly upon presence of the Z-disc component alpha-actinin, but also depended upon other Z-disc components, including Mask, Zasp52, and Sals. We also observed re-localization of FLAG-CG1674 to the nucleus in Alpha-actinin and sals knockdown animals. Conclusions: These studies identify and characterize a previously unreported myofibrillar component of Drosophila muscle that is necessary for proper myofibril assembly during development.

Ectopic Reconstitution of a Spine-Apparatus Like Structure Provides Insight into Mechanisms Underlying Its Formation

“…Analysis of the evolutionary tree of synaptopodin using Panther [47] revealed that one of its early orthologues is CG1674 in Drosophila melanogaster . CG1674 is an actin binding protein [48], and its calsarcin domain shares 47% similarity with that of human synaptopodin (Fig. 4A).…”

Musculoskeletal Development, Maintenance and Regeneration: Part One

“…Continuing with muscle, Dhanyasi et al 5 determine the sequential phases of myofibril and sarcomere formation in the indirect flight muscles of Drosophila and show that microtubules are essential for the initial positioning of the myofibrils within the cell and, later, for radial myofibril growth. Still remaining on the theme of Drosophila musculature, Czajkowski et al 6 report the first characterization of the Drosophila flight muscle proteome, which leads to the identification of a novel gene, CG1674, encoding a protein with homology to mammalian synaptopodin‐like 2. The authors show that CG1674 is a component of the Z‐disc and is essential for the function of flight and jump muscles, with knockdown of CG1674 resulting in localized disorganization of the myofibrillar structure.…”