Expression of synaptotagmin in Drosophila reveals transport and localization of synaptic vesicles to the synapse

Synaptotagmin is a synaptic vesicle-specific integral membrane protein that has been suggested to play a key role in synaptic vesicle docking and fusion. By monitoring Synaptotagmin's cellular and subcellular distribution during development, it is possible to study synaptic vesicle localization and transport, and synapse formation. We have initiated the study of Synaptotagmin's expression during Drosophila neurogenesis in order to follow synaptic vesicle movement prior to and during synapse formation, as well as to localize synaptic sites in Drosophila. In situ hybridizations to whole-mount embryos show that synaptotagmin (syt) message is present in the cell bodies of all peripheral nervous system neurons and many, if not all, central nervous system neurons during neurite outgrowth and synapse formation, and in mature neurons. Immunocytochemical staining with antisera specific to Synaptotagmin indicates that the protein is present at all stages of the Drosophila life cycle following germ band retraction. In embryos, Synaptotagmin is only transiently localized to the cell body of neurons and is transported rapidly along axons during axonogenesis. After synapse formation, Synaptotagmin accumulates in a punctate pattern at all identifiable synaptic contact sites, suggesting a general role for Synaptotagmin in synapse function. In embryos and larvae, the most intense staining is found along two broad longitudinal tracts on the dorsal side of the ventral nerve cord and the brain, and at neuromuscular junctions in the periphery. In the adult head, Synaptotagmin localizes the discrete regions of the neurophil where synapses are predicted to occur. These data indicate that synaptic vesicles are present in axons before synapse formation, and become restricted to synaptic contact sites after synapses are formed. Since a similar expression pattern of Synaptotagmin has been reported in mammals, we propose that the function of Synaptotagmin and the mechanisms governing localization of the synaptic vesicle before and after synapse formation are conserved in invertebrate and vertebrate species. The ability to mark synapses in Drosophila should facilitate the study of synapse formation and function, providing a new tool to dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes.