Local caspase activity directs engulfment of dendrites during pruning
Abstract
Pruning is important for sculpting neural circuits, as it removes excessive or inaccurate projections. Here we show that the removal of sensory neuron dendrites during pruning in Drosophila melanogaster is directed by local caspase activity. Suppressing caspase activity prevented dendrite removal, whereas a global activation of caspases within a neuron caused cell death. A new genetically encoded caspase probe revealed that caspase activity is confined to the degenerating dendrites of pruning neurons.
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70% of β-galactosidase positive foci in tau transgenic Drosophila were positive for cleaved PARP.
“70% of β–galactosidase positive foci were positive for cleaved PARP, a marker of caspase activation21 (Fig. 1g).”
From Tau promotes neurodegeneration through global chromatin relaxation (2014) · cites this paper as [21]
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References 14 · Cited by 369
- Authors
- Williams, D. W., Kondo, S., Krzyzanowska, A., Hiromi, Y., & Truman, J. W.
- Affiliations
- King's College London (GB)
- National Institute of Genetics (JP)
- University of Washington (US)
- Corresponding author
- Williams, Darren W
- Venue
- Nature Neuroscience
- Published
- 2006-09-17
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 1234-1236
- ISSN
- 1097-6256 (ISSN-L)
- 1546-1726
- OpenAlex
- W1999153033
- Cited by
- 369
- References
- 14
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 32 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 29 · 2013: 27 · 2012: 26
- FWCI
- 4.87
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Nature Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01NS029971, NS-029971)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Cell death mechanisms and regulation
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Axon Guidance and Neuronal Signaling
- Keywords
- axon pruning, caspase activity, sensory neurons, dendrite degeneration, neural circuit refinement, Drosophila melanogaster
- MeSH terms
- Analysis of Variance, Animals, Dendrites, Drosophila melanogaster, Enzyme Activation, Enzyme Inhibitors, Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Ganglia, Spinal, Neurons, Afferent, Time Factors, Apoptosis, Caspases, Drosophila Proteins, Animals, Genetically Modified
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