期刊名称：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
印刷版ISSN：0027-8424
电子版ISSN：1091-6490
出版年度：2006
卷号：103
期号：31
页码：11601-11606
DOI：10.1073/pnas.0601185103
语种：English
出版社：The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
摘要：Classical cadherin-mediated interactions between axons and dendrites are critical to target selection and synapse assembly. However, the molecular mechanisms by which these interactions are controlled are incompletely understood. In the Drosophila visual system, N-cadherin is required in both photoreceptor (R cell) axons and their targets to mediate stabilizing interactions required for R cell target selection. Here we identify the scaffolding protein Liprin-{alpha} as a critical component in this process. We isolated mutations in Liprin-{alpha} in a genetic screen for mutations affecting the pattern of synaptic connections made by R1-R6 photoreceptors. Using eye-specific mosaics, we demonstrate a previously undescribed, axonal function for Liprin-{alpha} in target selection: Liprin-{alpha} is required to be cell-autonomous in all subtypes of R1-R6 cells for their axons to reach their targets. Because Liprin-{alpha
