Project 03

Interaction of adhesion GPCR signalling and ionotropic pathways during mechano-sensory signal transduction

Robert J. Kittel, Leipzig University & Tobias Langenhan, Leipzig University

Team members
Dr. Mareike Selcho
Dr. Dennis Pauls
Ina Brauer

Project Description
Building upon our observation that the adhesion G protein-coupled receptor (aGPCR) dCIRL acts as a metabotropic mechanosensor in Drosophila, this project will carry out a detailed investigation of the functional interaction between dCIRL and ionotropic mechanotransduction channels of the TRP (transient receptor potential) family. In order to judge the generality of such an interplay, we will focus on two mechanosensory systems: (i) the larval chordotonal organ, which detects external mechanical stimuli and (ii) specialized central neurons of adult Drosophila, which monitor internal osmolality.

Publications

Paul MM, Dannhäuser S, Morris L, Mrestani A, Hübsch M, Gehring J, Hatzopoulos GN, Pauli M, Auger GM, Bornschein G, Scholz N, Ljaschenko D, Müller M, Sauer M, Schmidt H, Kittel RJ, DiAntonio A, Vakonakis I, Heckmann M, Langenhan T (2022) The human cognition-enhancing CORD7 mutation increases active zone number and synaptic release. Brain. 2022 Jan 12:awac011. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35022694. 

Dannhäuser S, Lux TJ, Hu C, Selcho M, Chen T-C, Ehmann N, Sachidanandan D, Stopp S, Pauls D, Pawlak M, Langenhan T, Soba P, Rittner HL, Kittel RJ (2020) Antinociceptive modulation by the adhesion GPCR CIRL promotes mechanosensory signal discrimination. Elife. 9:e56738. 

Meloni I, Sachidanandan D, Thum AS, Kittel RJ, Murawski C. Controlling the behaviour of Drosophila melanogaster via smartphone optogenetics (2020) Sci Rep. 10:17614. 

Langenhan T (2019) Adhesion G protein-coupled receptors – candidate metabotropic mechanosensors and novel drug targets. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol. doi: 10.1111/bcpt.13223. [Epub ahead of print]. 

Scholz N, Ehmann N, Sachidanandan D, Imig C, Cooper BH, Jahn O, Reim K, Brose N, Meyer J, Lamberty M, Altrichter S, Bormann A, Hallermann S, Pauli M, Heckmann M, Stigloher C, Langenhan T, Kittel RJ (2019) Complexin cooperates with Bruchpilot to tether synaptic vesicles to the active zone cytomatrix. J Cell Biol. 218: 1011-1026. 

Blanco-Redondo B, Langenhan T (2018) Parallel Genomic Engineering of Two Drosophila Genes Using Orthogonal attB/attP Sites. G3 (Bethesda). 8: 3109-3118. 

Ehmann N, Owald D, Kittel RJ (2018) Drosophila active zones: From molecules to behaviour. Neuroscience Research. 127:14-24.