Till Matzat

University of British Columbia

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Christian Klämbt

University of Münster

Stefan Luschnig

University of Münster

Frank Schnorrer

Institut de Biologie du Développement Marseille

Julia Sauerwald

University of Münster

Wilko Backer

University of Münster

Florian Sieglitz

University of Lisbon

Simone D. Castellarin

University of British Columbia

Duo Cheng

University of British Columbia

Mriga Das

University of British Columbia

Rita Kottmeier

Center for Psychobiology and Behavioral Medicine

Cooperative Institutions

University of Münster

University of British Columbia

University of Zurich

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

University Hospital Münster

Okanagan University College

Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre

Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry

Max Planck Society

University of Cologne

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Innexin-Mediated Adhesion between Glia Is Required for Axon Ensheathment in the Peripheral Nervous System

Journal of Neuroscience (2023)

Mriga Das Duo Cheng Till Matzat Vanessa J. Auld

Glia are essential to protecting and enabling nervous system function and a key glial function is the formation of the glial sheath around peripheral axons. Each peripheral nerve in the Drosophila larva is ensheathed by three glial layers, which structurally support and insulate the peripheral axons. How peripheral glia communicate with each other and between layers is not well established and we investigated the role of Innexins in mediating glial function in the Drosophila periphery. Of the eight Drosophila Innexins, we found two (Inx1 and Inx2) are important for peripheral glia development. In particular loss of Inx1 and Inx2 resulted in defects in the wrapping glia leading to disruption of the glia wrap. Of interest loss of Inx2 in the subperineurial glia also resulted in defects in the neighboring wrapping glia. Inx plaques were observed between the subperineurial glia and the wrapping glia suggesting that gap junctions link these two glial cell types. We found Inx2 is key to Ca2+ pulses in the peripheral subperineurial glia but not in the wrapping glia, and we found no evidence of gap junction communication between subperineurial and wrapping glia. Rather we have clear evidence that Inx2 plays an adhesive and channel-independent role between the subperineurial and wrapping glia to ensure the integrity of the glial wrap.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Gap junctions are critical for glia communication and formation of myelin in myelinating glia. However, the role of gap junctions in non-myelinating glia is not well studied, yet non-myelinating glia are critical for peripheral nerve function. We found the Innexin gap junction proteins are present between different classes of peripheral glia in Drosophila. Here Innexins form junctions to facilitate adhesion between the different glia but do so in a channel-independent manner. Loss of adhesion leads to disruption of the glial wrap around axons and leads to fragmentation of the wrapping glia membranes. Our work points to an important role for gap junction proteins in mediating insulation by non-myelinating glia.

Neuroglia

Peripheral Nervous System

Schwann cell

10.1523/jneurosci.1323-22.2023

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Citations (4)

Matrix metalloproteinase 1 modulates invasive behavior of tracheal branches during ingression intoDrosophilaflight muscles

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (2019)

Julia Sauerwald Wilko Backer Till Matzat Frank Schnorrer Stefan Luschnig

SUMMARY Tubular networks like the vasculature extend branches throughout the bodies of animals, but how developing vessels interact with and invade tissues is not well understood. We investigated the underlying mechanisms using the developing tracheal tube network of Drosophila indirect flight muscles (IFMs) as a model. Live imaging revealed that tracheal sprouts invade IFMs directionally with growth-cone-like structures at branch tips. Ramification inside IFMs proceeds until tracheal branches fill the myotube. However, individual tracheal cells occupy largely separate territories, possibly mediated by cell-cell repulsion. Matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1) is required in tracheal cells for normal invasion speed and for the dynamic organization of growth-cone-like branch tips. MMP1 remodels the Collagen IV-containing matrix around branch tips and promotes degradation of Branchless FGF in cultured cells. Thus, tracheal-derived MMP1 may play dual roles in sustaining branch invasion by modulating ECM properties as well as by shaping the distribution of the FGF chemoattractant.

MMP1

Matrix (chemical analysis)

10.1101/669028

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Citations (1)

Axon ensheathment and metabolic supply by glial cells in Drosophila

Brain Research (2015)

Stefanie Schirmeier Till Matzat Christian Klämbt

Homeostasis

Neuroglia

Gliogenesis

10.1016/j.brainres.2015.09.003

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Citations (24)

Drought stress modulates cuticular wax composition of the grape berry

Journal of Experimental Botany (2020)

Nicolas Dimopoulos Ricco Tindjau Darren C. J. Wong Till Matzat Tegan M. Haslam

Drought events are a major challenge for many horticultural crops, including grapes, which are often cultivated in dry and warm climates. It is not understood how the cuticle contributes to the grape berry response to water deficit (WD); furthermore, the cuticular waxes and the related biosynthetic pathways are poorly characterized in this fruit. In this study, we identified candidate wax-related genes from the grapevine genome by phylogenetic and transcriptomic analyses. Developmental and stress response expression patterns of these candidates were characterized across pre-existing RNA sequencing data sets and confirmed a high responsiveness of the pathway to environmental stresses. We then characterized the developmental and WD-induced changes in berry cuticular wax composition, and quantified differences in berry transpiration. Cuticular aliphatic wax content was modulated during development and an increase was observed under WD, with wax esters being strongly up-regulated. These compositional changes were related to up-regulated candidate genes of the aliphatic wax biosynthetic pathway, including CER10, CER2, CER3, CER1, CER4, and WSD1. The effect of WD on berry transpiration was not significant. This study indicates that changes in cuticular wax amount and composition are part of the metabolic response of the grape berry to WD, but these changes do not reduce berry transpiration.

Drought stress

Cold stress

10.1093/jxb/eraa046

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Citations (66)

Matrix metalloproteinase 1 modulates invasive behavior of tracheal branches during entry into Drosophila flight muscles

eLife (2019)

Julia Sauerwald Wilko Backer Till Matzat Frank Schnorrer Stefan Luschnig

Tubular networks like the vasculature extend branches throughout animal bodies, but how developing vessels interact with and invade tissues is not well understood. We investigated the underlying mechanisms using the developing tracheal tube network of Drosophila indirect flight muscles (IFMs) as a model. Live imaging revealed that tracheal sprouts invade IFMs directionally with growth-cone-like structures at branch tips. Ramification inside IFMs proceeds until tracheal branches fill the myotube. However, individual tracheal cells occupy largely separate territories, possibly mediated by cell-cell repulsion. Matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1) is required in tracheal cells for normal invasion speed and for the dynamic organization of growth-cone-like branch tips. MMP1 remodels the CollagenIV-containing matrix around branch tips, which show differential matrix composition with low CollagenIV levels, while Laminin is present along tracheal branches. Thus, tracheal-derived MMP1 sustains branch invasion by modulating the dynamic behavior of sprouting branches as well as properties of the surrounding matrix.

MMP1

Matrix (chemical analysis)

Growth cone

10.7554/elife.48857

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Citations (23)

Antagonistic Feedback Loops Involving Rau and Sprouty in the Drosophila Eye Control Neuronal and Glial Differentiation

Science Signaling (2013)

Florian Sieglitz Till Matzat Yeliz Yuva-Aydemir Helen Neuert Benjamin Altenhein

Balanced feedback loops in a receptor tyrosine kinase network control glial and neuronal differentiation in the fly eye.

10.1126/scisignal.2004651

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Citations (40)

Polarization-resolved microscopy reveals a muscle myosin motor-independent mechanism of molecular actin ordering during sarcomere maturation

PLoS Biology (2018)

Olivier Loison Manuela Weitkunat Aynur Kaya-Çopur Camila Nascimento Alves Till Matzat

Sarcomeres are stereotyped force-producing mini-machines of striated muscles. Each sarcomere contains a pseudocrystalline order of bipolar actin and myosin filaments, which are linked by titin filaments. During muscle development, these three filament types need to assemble into long periodic chains of sarcomeres called myofibrils. Initially, myofibrils contain immature sarcomeres, which gradually mature into their pseudocrystalline order. Despite the general importance, our understanding of myofibril assembly and sarcomere maturation in vivo is limited, in large part because determining the molecular order of protein components during muscle development remains challenging. Here, we applied polarization-resolved microscopy to determine the molecular order of actin during myofibrillogenesis in vivo. This method revealed that, concomitantly with mechanical tension buildup in the myotube, molecular actin order increases, preceding the formation of immature sarcomeres. Mechanistically, both muscle and nonmuscle myosin contribute to this actin order gain during early stages of myofibril assembly. Actin order continues to increase while myofibrils and sarcomeres mature. Muscle myosin motor activity is required for the regular and coordinated assembly of long myofibrils but not for the high actin order buildup during sarcomere maturation. This suggests that, in muscle, other actin-binding proteins are sufficient to locally bundle or cross-link actin into highly regular arrays.

Myofibril

Nebulin

Myofilament

Meromyosin

Molecular motor

10.1371/journal.pbio.2004718

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Citations (67)

Innexin-mediated adhesion between glia is required for axon ensheathment in the peripheral nervous system

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (2022)

Mriga Das Duo Cheng Till Matzat Vanessa J. Auld

ABSTRACT Glia are essential to protecting and enabling nervous system function and a key glial function is the formation of the glial sheath around peripheral axons. Each peripheral nerve in the Drosophila larva is ensheathed by three glial layers, which structurally support and insulate the peripheral axons. How peripheral glia communicate with each other and between layers is not well established and we investigated the role of Innexins in mediating glial function in the Drosophila periphery. Of the eight Drosophila Innexins, we found two (Inx1 and Inx2) are important for peripheral glia development. In particular loss of Inx1 and Inx2 resulted in defects in the wrapping glia leading to disruption of the glia wrap. Of interest loss of Inx2 in the subperineurial glia also resulted in defects in the neighbouring wrapping glia. Inx plaques were observed between the subperineurial glia and the wrapping glia suggesting that gap junctions link these two glial cell types. We found Inx2 is key to Ca+2 pulses in the peripheral subperineurial glia but not in the wrapping glia, and we found no evidence of gap junction communication between subperineurial and wrapping glia. Rather we have clear evidence that Inx2 plays an adhesive and channel-independent role between the subperineurial and wrapping glia to ensure the integrity of the glial wrap.

Neuroglia

Peripheral Nervous System

10.1101/2022.07.12.499769

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Citations (0)

Leaf pigmentation in Cannabis sativa: Characterization of anthocyanin biosynthesis in colorful Cannabis varieties

Plant Direct (2024)

Kristina Gagalova Yifan Yan Shumin Wang Till Matzat Simone D. Castellarin

Cannabis plants produce a spectrum of secondary metabolites, encompassing cannabinoids and more than 300 non-cannabinoid compounds. Among these, anthocyanins have important functions in plants and also have well documented health benefits. Anthocyanins are largely responsible for the red/purple color phenotypes in plants. Although some well-known Cannabis varieties display a wide range of red/purple pigmentation, the genetic underpinnings of anthocyanin biosynthesis have not been well characterized in Cannabis. This study unveils the genetic diversity of anthocyanin biosynthesis genes found in Cannabis, and we characterize the diversity of anthocyanins and related phenolics found in four differently pigmented Cannabis varieties. Our investigation revealed that the genes

Cannabis sativa

10.1002/pld3.70016

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Citations (0)

ECM stiffness regulates glial migration in Drosophila and mammalian glioma models

Development (2014)

Su Na Kim Astrid Jeibmann Kathrin Halama Hanna Witte Mike Wälte

Cell migration is an important feature of glial cells. Here, we used the Drosophila eye disc to decipher the molecular network controlling glial migration. We stimulated glial motility by pan-glial PDGF receptor (PVR) activation and identified several genes acting downstream of PVR. Drosophila lox is a non-essential gene encoding a secreted protein that stiffens the extracellular matrix (ECM). Glial-specific knockdown of Integrin results in ECM softening. Moreover, we show that lox expression is regulated by Integrin signaling and vice versa, suggesting that a positive-feedback loop ensures a rigid ECM in the vicinity of migrating cells. The general implication of this model was tested in a mammalian glioma model, where a Lox-specific inhibitor unraveled a clear impact of ECM rigidity in glioma cell migration.

10.1242/dev.106039

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Citations (73)