A presynaptic role of microtubule-associated protein 1/Futsch in Drosophila: regulation of active zone number and neurotransmitter release.

Structural microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs), like MAP1, not only control the stability of microtubules, but also interact with postsynaptic proteins in the nervous system. Their presynaptic role has barely been studied. To tackle this question, we used the Drosophila model in which there is only one MAP1 homolog: Futsch, which is expressed at the larval neuromuscular junction, presynaptically only.

Drosophila Nesprin-1 controls glutamate receptor density at neuromuscular junctions.

Nesprin-1 is a core component of a protein complex connecting nuclei to cytoskeleton termed LINC (linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton). Nesprin-1 is anchored to the nuclear envelope by its C-terminal KASH domain, the disruption of which has been associated with neuronal and neuromuscular pathologies, including autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxia and Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy. Here, we describe a new and unexpected role of Drosophila Nesprin-1, Msp-300, in neuromuscular junction.