Proteomic mapping of Drosophila transgenic elav.L-GAL4/+ brain as a tool to illuminate neuropathology mechanisms

Sci Rep. 2020 Mar 25;10(1):5430. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-62510-0.

Abstract

Drosophila brain has emerged as a powerful model system for the investigation of genes being related to neurological pathologies. To map the proteomic landscape of fly brain, in a high-resolution scale, we herein employed a nano liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry technology, and high-content catalogues of 7,663 unique peptides and 2,335 single proteins were generated. Protein-data processing, through UniProt, DAVID, KEGG and PANTHER bioinformatics subroutines, led to fly brain-protein classification, according to sub-cellular topology, molecular function, implication in signaling and contribution to neuronal diseases. Given the importance of Ubiquitin Proteasome System (UPS) in neuropathologies and by using the almost completely reassembled UPS, we genetically targeted genes encoding components of the ubiquitination-dependent protein-degradation machinery. This analysis showed that driving RNAi toward proteasome components and regulators, using the GAL4-elav.L driver, resulted in changes to longevity and climbing-activity patterns during aging. Our proteomic map is expected to advance the existing knowledge regarding brain biology in animal species of major translational-research value and economical interest.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified
  • Brain / metabolism*
  • Drosophila / genetics*
  • Drosophila / physiology
  • Drosophila Proteins / genetics
  • Drosophila Proteins / metabolism*
  • ELAV Proteins / genetics*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Locomotion / genetics
  • Longevity / genetics
  • Male
  • Nervous System Diseases / etiology*
  • Nervous System Diseases / genetics*
  • Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / genetics*
  • Proteolysis*
  • Proteomics / methods*
  • RNA Interference
  • Transcription Factors / genetics*
  • Ubiquitin / metabolism
  • Ubiquitination / genetics*

Substances

  • Drosophila Proteins
  • ELAV Proteins
  • ELAV protein, Drosophila
  • GAL4 protein, Drosophila
  • Transcription Factors
  • Ubiquitin
  • Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex