Functional significance of the copper transporter ATP7 in peptidergic neurons and endocrine cells in Drosophila melanogaster
FEBS Letters. 2012-08-16; 586(20): 3633-3638
DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2012.08.009
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Sellami A(1), Wegener C, Veenstra JA.
Author information:
(1)Université de Bordeaux, INCIA UMR 5287 CNRS, 33405 Talence, France.
The Drosophila ATP7 copper transporter has sequence homology to the human copper
transporters ATP7A and ATP7B, which are defective in Menkes and Wilson disease,
respectively. We show here that in Drosophila ATP7 is expressed by many
peptidergic neurons. As C-terminal amidation of neuropeptides depends on the
copper-containing enzyme PHM, it seemed likely that in the absence of ATP7 the
activity of PHM might be compromised. Indeed, inhibition of ATP7 expression by
RNAi led to a decrease in mature amidated neuropeptides and the appearance of
C-terminally Gly-extended neuropeptides. The strength of this effect differed
from one cell type to another; it was very pronounced for AKH and corazonin, but
much less so for SIFamide and myosuppressin. Nevertheless, down-regulation of
ATP7 specifically in the SIFamide-expressing neurons resulted in male-male
courtship behavior.
Copyright © 2012 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by
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