Reduced levels of ALS gene DCTN1 induce motor defects in Drosophila

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressive neuromuscular disease that has a strong genetic component. Deleterious variants in the DCTN1 gene are known to be a cause of ALS in diverse populations. DCTN1 encodes the p150 subunit of the molecular motor dynactin which is a key player in the bidirectional transport of cargos within cells. Whether DCTN1 mutations lead to the disease through either a gain or loss of function mechanism remains unresolved. Moreover, the contribution of non-neuronal cell types, especially muscle tissue, to ALS phenotypes in DCTN1 carriers is unknown. Here we show that gene silencing of Dctn1, the Drosophila main orthologue of DCTN1, either in neurons or muscles is sufficient to cause climbing and flight defects in adult flies. We also identify Dred, a protein with high homology to Drosophila Dctn1 and human DCTN1, that on loss of function also leads to motoric impairments. A global reduction of Dctn1 induced a significant reduction in the mobility of larvae and neuromuscular junction (NMJ) deficits prior to death at the pupal stage. RNA-seq and transcriptome profiling revealed splicing alterations in genes required for synapse organisation and function, which may explain the observed motor dysfunction and synaptic defects downstream of Dctn1 ablation. Our findings support the possibility that loss of DCTN1 function can lead to ALS and underscore an important requirement for DCTN1 in muscle in addition to neurons.peer-reviewe

Data for paper: Regulating the femtosecond excited-state lifetime of a single molecule

These data were collected by scanning tunnelling microscopy and concern the rate of manipulation of the chemisorbed toluene molecule on the Si(111)-7x7 surface. The details of this research are presented in the associated paper. Here we house the individual data points that are displayed in the work.Full details of the methodology are available in the associated manuscript and supplementary materials

Dataset for "Common source of light emission and nonlocal molecular manipulation on the Si(111)-7x7 surface"

This dataset contains data supporting the results presented in the paper "Common source of light emission and nonlocal molecular manipulation on the Si(111)-7x7 surface". It includes the data used to plot each figure associated with this publication, together with the raw oscilloscope data in .csv format. \ud The study combines the results of the two near identical experimental techniques - nonlocal atomic manipulation and light emission from a scanning tunnelling microscope - for the system of toluene molecules chemisorbed on the Si(111)-7×7 surface at room temperature. The radial dependence of molecular desorption away from the tip injection site conforms to a two-step ballistic-diffusive transport of the injected hot electrons across the surface, with a threshold bias voltage of +2.0 V. We find the same threshold voltage of +2.0 V for light emission from the bare Si(111)-7×7 surface. Comparing these results with previous published spectra we propose that both the manipulation and the light emission follow the same hot electron dynamics, only differing in the outcome of the final relaxation step which may result in either molecular manipulation, or photon emission.Full details of the methodology are available in the associated manuscript and supplementary materials

Data for paper: Regulating the femtosecond excited-state lifetime of a single molecule

These data were collected by scanning tunnelling microscopy and concern the rate of manipulation of the chemisorbed toluene molecule on the Si(111)-7x7 surface. The details of this research are presented in the associated paper. Here we house the individual data points that are displayed in the work

Dataset for "Common source of light emission and nonlocal molecular manipulation on the Si(111)-7x7 surface"

This dataset contains data supporting the results presented in the paper "Common source of light emission and nonlocal molecular manipulation on the Si(111)-7x7 surface". It includes the data used to plot each figure associated with this publication, together with the raw oscilloscope data in .csv format. The study combines the results of the two near identical experimental techniques - nonlocal atomic manipulation and light emission from a scanning tunnelling microscope - for the system of toluene molecules chemisorbed on the Si(111)-7×7 surface at room temperature. The radial dependence of molecular desorption away from the tip injection site conforms to a two-step ballistic-diffusive transport of the injected hot electrons across the surface, with a threshold bias voltage of +2.0 V. We find the same threshold voltage of +2.0 V for light emission from the bare Si(111)-7×7 surface. Comparing these results with previous published spectra we propose that both the manipulation and the light emission follow the same hot electron dynamics, only differing in the outcome of the final relaxation step which may result in either molecular manipulation, or photon emission