Summary Information processing relies on precise patterns of synapses between neurons. The cellular recognition mechanisms regulating this specificity are poorly understood. In the medulla of the Drosophila visual system, different neurons form synaptic connections in different layers. Here, we sought to identify candidate cell recognition molecules underlying this specificity. Using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), we show that neurons with different synaptic specificities express unique combinations of mRNAs encoding hundreds of cell surface and secreted proteins. Using RNA-seq and protein tagging, we demonstrate that 21 paralogs of the Dpr family, a subclass of immunoglobulin (Ig)-domain containing proteins, are expressed in unique combinations in homologous neurons with different layer-specific synaptic connections. Dpr interacting proteins (DIPs), comprising nine paralogs of another subclass of Ig-containing proteins, are expressed in a complementary layer-specific fashion in a subset of synaptic partners. We propose that pairs of Dpr/DIP paralogs contribute to layer-specific patterns of synaptic connectivity.

SUMMARY Binding between DIP and Dpr neuronal-recognition proteins has been proposed to regulate synaptic connections between lamina and medulla neurons in the Drosophila visual system. Each lamina neuron was previously shown to express many Dprs. Here, we demonstrate, by contrast, that their synaptic partners typically express one or two DIPs, with binding specificities matched to the lamina neuron-expressed Dprs. A deeper understanding of the molecular logic of DIP/Dpr interaction requires quantitative studies on the properties of these proteins. We thus generated a quantitative affinity-based DIP/Dpr interactome for all DIP/Dpr protein family members. This revealed a broad range of affinities and identified homophilic binding for some DIPs and some Dprs. These data, along with full-length ectodomain DIP/Dpr and DIP/DIP crystal structures, led to the identification of molecular determinants of DIP/Dpr specificity. This structural knowledge, along with a comprehensive set of quantitative binding affinities, provides new tools for functional studies in vivo.

Although the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) pathway has been implicated in breast cancer metastasis, its in vivo dynamics and temporal-spatial involvement in organ-specific metastasis have not been investigated. Here we engineered a xenograft model system with a conditional control of the TGF-beta-SMAD signaling pathway and a dual-luciferase reporter system for tracing both metastatic burden and TGF-beta signaling activity in vivo. Strong TGF-beta signaling in osteolytic bone lesions is suppressed directly by genetic and pharmacological disruption of the TGF-beta-SMAD pathway and indirectly by inhibition of osteoclast function with bisphosphonates. Notably, disruption of TGF-beta signaling early in metastasis can substantially reduce metastasis burden but becomes less effective when bone lesions are well established. Our in vivo system for real-time manipulation and detection of TGF-beta signaling provides a proof of principle for using similar strategies to analyze the in vivo dynamics of other metastasis-associated signaling pathways and will expedite the development and characterization of therapeutic agents.

Drosophila Dpr (21 paralogs) and DIP proteins (11 paralogs) are cell recognition molecules of the immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) that form a complex protein interaction network. DIP and Dpr proteins are expressed in a synaptic layer-specific fashion in the visual system. How interactions between these proteins regulate layer-specific synaptic circuitry is not known. Here we establish that DIP-a and its interacting partners Dpr6 and Dpr10 regulate multiple processes, including arborization within layers, synapse number, layer specificity, and cell survival. We demonstrate that heterophilic binding between Dpr6/10 and DIP-a and homophilic binding between DIP-a proteins promote interactions between processes in vivo. Knockin mutants disrupting the DIP/ Dpr binding interface reveal a role for these proteins during normal development, while ectopic expression studies support an instructive role for interactions between DIPs and Dprs in circuit development. These studies support an important role for the DIP/ Dpr protein interaction network in regulating celltype-specific connectivity patterns.

The cascade oxidative annulation reactions of benzoylacetonitrile with internal alkynes proceed efficiently in the presence of a rhodium catalyst and a copper oxidant to give substituted naphtho[1,8-bc]pyrans by sequential cleavage of C(sp(2))-H/C(sp(3))-H and C(sp(2))-H/O-H bonds. These cascade reactions are highly regioselective with unsymmetrical alkynes. Experiments reveal that the first-step reaction proceeds by sequential cleavage of C(sp(2))-H/C(sp(3))-H bonds and annulation with alkynes, leading to 1-naphthols as the intermediate products. Subsequently, 1-naphthols react with alkynes by cleavage of C(sp(2))-H/O-H bonds, affording the 1:2 coupling products. Moreover, some of the naphtho[1,8-bc]pyran products exhibit intense fluorescence in the solid state.

Mesler entrainment is the formation of large numbers of small bubbles which occurs when a drop strikes a liquid reservoir at a relatively low velocity. Existing studies of Mesler entrainment have focused almost exclusively on water as the working fluid in a nominally clean state, where even very small levels of contamination can cause significant changes in surface tension that affect the repeatability of the results. Herein water combined with the soluble surfactant Triton X‐100 is used as the working fluid in an attempt to stabilize the state of the water surface. Despite this approach, nominally identical drops did not always result in the same bubble formation event. Accordingly, Mesler entrainment was quantified by its frequency of occurrence for drops having the same nominal diameter and impact velocity. This frequency of occurrence was found to be well correlated to both the Weber number and the shape of the drop on impact. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2012

Ruthenium-catalyzed oxidative C-H bond olefination of N-methoxybenzamides using an oxidizing directing group with a broad substrate scope is reported. The reactions of N-methoxybenzamides with acrylates in MeOH and styrene (or norbornadiene) in CF(3)CH(2)OH afforded two types of products.

Cytoplasmic Polyadenylation Element Binding (CPEB) proteins are translational regulators that can either activate or repress translation depending on the target mRNA and the specific biological context. There are two CPEB subfamilies and most animals have one or more genes from each. Drosophila has a single CPEB gene, orb and orb2, from each subfamily. orb expression is only detected at high levels in the germline and has critical functions in oogenesis but not spermatogenesis. By contrast, orb2 is broadly expressed in the soma; and previous studies have revealed important functions in asymmetric cell division, viability, motor function, learning, and memory. Here we show that orb2 is also expressed in the adult male germline and that it has essential functions in programming the progression of spermatogenesis from meiosis through differentiation. Like the translational regulators boule (bol) and off-schedule (ofs), orb2 is required for meiosis and orb2 mutant spermatocytes undergo a prolonged arrest during the meiotic G2-M transition. However, orb2 differs from boule and off-schedule in that this arrest occurs at a later step in meiotic progression after the synthesis of the meiotic regulator twine. orb2 is also required for the orderly differentiation of the spermatids after meiosis is complete. The differentiation defects in orb2 mutants include abnormal elongation of the spermatid flagellar axonemes, a failure in individualization and improper post-meiotic gene expression. Amongst the orb2 differentiation targets are orb and two other mRNAs, which are transcribed post-meiotically and localized to the tip of the flagellar axonemes. Additionally, analysis of a partial loss of function orb2 mutant suggests that the orb2 differentiation phenotypes are independent of the earlier arrest in meiosis.