Program of Biomedical Science and Basic Biology, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
Department of Genetics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Genes Cells. 2021 Apr;26(4):230-239. doi: 10.1111/gtc.12835. Epub 2021 Mar 10.
VAMP-associated protein (VAP) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane protein that functions as a tethering protein at the membrane contact sites between the ER and various intracellular organelles. Mutations such as P56S in human VAPB cause neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, VAP functions in neurons are poorly understood. Here, we utilized Drosophila olfactory projection neurons with a mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker (MARCM) to analyze the neuronal function of Vap33, a Drosophila ortholog of human VAPB. In vap33 null mutant clones, the dendrites of projection neurons exhibited defects in the maintenance of their morphology. The subcellular localization of the Golgi apparatus and mitochondria were also abnormal. These results indicate that Vap33 is required for neuronal morphology and organelle distribution. Additionally, to examine the impact of ALS-associated mutations in neurons, we overexpressed human VAPB-P56S in vap33 null mutant clones (mosaic rescue experiments) and found that, in aged flies, human VAPB-P56S expression caused mislocalization of Bruchpilot, a presynaptic protein. These results implied that synaptic protein localization and ER quality control may be affected by disease mutations. We provide insights into the physiological and pathological functions of VAP in neurons.
VAMP 相关蛋白 (VAP) 是内质网 (ER) 膜蛋白,作为 ER 与各种细胞内细胞器之间的膜接触位点的连接蛋白发挥作用。人类 VAPB 中的 P56S 等突变会导致神经退行性疾病,如肌萎缩侧索硬化症 (ALS)。然而,VAP 在神经元中的功能仍知之甚少。在这里,我们利用具有可抑制细胞标记物的马赛克分析 (MARCM) 的果蝇嗅觉投射神经元来分析人类 VAPB 的果蝇同源物 Vap33 的神经元功能。在 vap33 缺失突变克隆中,投射神经元的树突在维持其形态方面存在缺陷。高尔基体和线粒体的亚细胞定位也异常。这些结果表明 Vap33 对于神经元形态和细胞器分布是必需的。此外,为了研究神经元中与 ALS 相关的突变的影响,我们在 vap33 缺失突变克隆中过表达了人 VAPB-P56S(马赛克拯救实验),发现随着年龄的增长,人 VAPB-P56S 的表达会导致 Bruchpilot 的定位异常,Bruchpilot 是一种突触前蛋白。这些结果表明,突触蛋白定位和 ER 质量控制可能受到疾病突变的影响。我们提供了关于 VAP 在神经元中的生理和病理功能的见解。