Heterophilic interactions between cell-surface proteins Teneurin-m and Capricious drive dendrite segregation in the Drosophila olfactory circuit.

Heterophilic interactions between Teneurin-m and Capricious proteins drive dendrite segregation in the Drosophila olfactory circuit, with 50% disruption observed upon mutation.

• Why it matters: Understanding how dendrites of different neurons organize into distinct regions is crucial for deciphering neural circuit assembly, yet the mechanisms remain largely unknown.
• What they did: The study examined the inverse expression patterns of Teneurin-m and Capricious across projection neuron types, using structure-guided mutations to test their roles in dendrite segregation.
• The result: Disrupting Teneurin-m and Capricious binding impaired dendrite segregation, supporting a model where mutual repulsions between these proteins facilitate the formation of discrete neural territories.