The Drosophila abrupt gene encodes a BTB-zinc finger regulatory protein that controls the specificity of neuromuscular connections

Abstract

Motor axons make synaptic connections with specific muscles, and this specificity unfolds during development as motoneuron growth cones make specific pathway choices and ultimately recognize and synapse on their specific muscle targets. The Drosophila clueless mutation was identified previously in a genetic screen for mutations that disrupt motoneuron guidance and connectivity. We show here that clueless is allelic to abrupt. The abrupt gene is required for the embryonic formation of specific synaptic connections between a subset of motoneurons and a subset of muscles. Mutations in abrupt also reveal its role in establishing and maintaining muscle attachments, adult sensory cell formation, and morphogenesis of adult appendages. The abrupt gene encodes a zinc finger protein with a conserved BTB domain. Abrupt is expressed in muscle nuclei but not motoneurons, suggesting that abrupt controls the muscle expression of molecules required for correct motoneuron targeting, as well as molecules required for correct muscle attachments.