Abl signaling directs growth of a pioneer axon in Drosophila by shaping the intrinsic fluctuations of actin

The fundamental problem in axon growth and guidance is understanding how cytoplasmic signaling modulates the cytoskeleton to produce directed growth cone motility. Live imaging of the TSM1 axon of the developing Drosophila wing has shown that the essential role of the core guidance signaling molecule, Abelson (Abl) tyrosine kinase, is to modulate the organization and spatial localization of actin in the advancing growth cone. Here, we dissect in detail the properties of that actin organization and its consequences for growth cone morphogenesis and motility. We show that advance of the actin mass in the distal axon drives the forward motion of the dynamic filopodial domain that defines the growth cone. We further show that Abl regulates both the width of the actin mass and its internal organization, spatially biasing the intrinsic fluctuations of actin to achieve net advance of the actin, and thus of the dynamic filopodial domain of the growth cone, while maintaining the essential coherence of the actin mass itself. These data suggest a model whereby guidance signaling systematically shapes the intrinsic, stochastic fluctuations of actin in the growth cone to produce axon growth and guidance.