LRT, a tendon-specific leucine-rich repeat protein, promotes muscle-tendon targeting through its interaction with Robo.

Full Abstract

Correct muscle migration towards tendon cells, and the adhesion of these two cell types, form the basis for contractile tissue assembly in the Drosophila embryo. While molecules promoting the attraction of muscles towards tendon cells have been described, signals involved in the arrest of muscle migration following the arrival of myotubes at their corresponding tendon cells have yet to be elucidated. Here, we describe a novel tendon-specific transmembrane protein, which we named LRT due to the presence of a leucine-rich repeat domain (LRR) in its extracellular region. Our analysis suggests that LRT acts non-autonomously to better target the muscle and/or arrest its migration upon arrival at its corresponding tendon cell. Muscles in embryos lacking LRT exhibited continuous formation of membrane extensions despite arrival at their corresponding tendon cells, and a partial failure of muscles to target their correct tendon cells. In addition, overexpression of LRT in tendon cells often stalled muscles located close to the tendon cells. LRT formed a protein complex with Robo, and we detected a functional genetic interaction between Robo and LRT at the level of muscle migration behavior. Taken together, our data suggest a novel mechanism by which muscles are targeted towards tendon cells as a result of LRT-Robo interactions. This mechanism may apply to the Robo-dependent migration of a wide variety of cell types.

Author information

Author/s: Wayburn, Bess (B); Volk, Talila (T);

Affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Development (Cambridge, England) (Development), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Nov; vol 136 (issue 21) : pp 3607-15

Dates: Created 2009/10/12; Completed 2009/11/05;

PMID: 19793885, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/5/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article
(including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.

MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Animals
Drosophila Proteins - metabolism
Drosophila melanogaster - metabolism
Membrane Proteins - metabolism

Associated Chemicals: Drosophila Proteins (0) ; LRT protein, Drosophila (0) ; Membrane Proteins (0) ; Nerve Tissue Proteins (0) ; Receptors, Immunologic (0) ; roundabout protein (0)

These are the highest related articles currently in the database: