HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 94/2/1074    most recent 00954.2004v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (12) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Zordan, M. A. Articles by Megighian, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Zordan, M. A. Articles by Megighian, A.

Drosophila CAKI/CMG Protein, a Homolog of Human CASK, Is Essential for Regulation of Neurotransmitter Vesicle Release

¹Departments of Human Anatomy and Physiology and ²Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; and ³Equipe Action Thématique et Initiatíve sur Programme et Equipe: Bases Neurales du Mouvement chez la Drosophile, Neurobiologie de l’Apprendissage, de la Mémozie et de la Communication, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8620, Université Paris Sud, Orsay, France

Submitted 14 September 2004; accepted in final form 27 April 2005

Vertebrate CASK is a member of the membrane-associated guanylate kinase (MAGUK) family of proteins. CASK is present in the nervous system where it binds to neurexin, a transmembrane protein localized in the presynaptic membrane. The Drosophila homologue of CASK is CAKI or CAMGUK. CAKI is expressed in the nervous system of larvae and adult flies. In adult flies, the expression of caki is particularly evident in the visual brain regions. To elucidate the functional role of CASK, we employed a caki null mutant in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. By means of electrophysiological methods, we analyzed, in adult flies, the spontaneous and evoked neurotransmitter release at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) as well as the functional status of the giant fiber pathway and of the visual system. We found that in caki mutants, when synaptic activity is modified, the spontaneous neurotransmitter release of the indirect flight muscle NMJ was increased, the response of the giant fiber pathway to continuous stimulation was impaired, and electroretinographic responses to single and continuous repetitive stimuli were altered and optomotor behavior was abnormal. These results support the involvement of CAKI in neurotransmitter release and nervous system function.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Mendoza-Topaz, F. Urra, R. Barria, V. Albornoz, D. Ugalde, U. Thomas, E. D. Gundelfinger, R. Delgado, M. Kukuljan, P. D. Sanxaridis, et al. DLGS97/SAP97 Is Developmentally Upregulated and Is Required for Complex Adult Behaviors and Synapse Morphology and Function J. Neurosci., January 2, 2008; 28(1): 304 - 314. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Atasoy, S. Schoch, A. Ho, K. A. Nadasy, X. Liu, W. Zhang, K. Mukherjee, E. D. Nosyreva, R. Fernandez-Chacon, M. Missler, et al. Deletion of CASK in mice is lethal and impairs synaptic function PNAS, February 13, 2007; 104(7): 2525 - 2530. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. van Wijk, B. van der Zwaag, T. Peters, U. Zimmermann, H. te Brinke, F. F.J. Kersten, T. Marker, E. Aller, L. H. Hoefsloot, C. W.R.J. Cremers, et al. The DFNB31 gene product whirlin connects to the Usher protein network in the cochlea and retina by direct association with USH2A and VLGR1 Hum. Mol. Genet., March 1, 2006; 15(5): 751 - 765. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. A. Zordan, P. Cisotto, C. Benna, A. Agostino, G. Rizzo, A. Piccin, M. Pegoraro, F. Sandrelli, G. Perini, G. Tognon, et al. Post-transcriptional Silencing and Functional Characterization of the Drosophila melanogaster Homolog of Human Surf1 Genetics, January 1, 2006; 172(1): 229 - 241. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]