Work

Putting the model to the test: are APC proteins essential for neuronal polarity, axon outgrowth, and axon targeting?

Year: 2008

Type: article

Abstract: The highly polarized architecture of neurons is important for their function. Experimental data based on dominant-negative approaches suggest that the tumor suppressor adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), a regulator of Wnt signaling and the cytoskeleton, regulates polarity of neuroectodermal precursors and neurons, helping specify one neurite as the axon, promoting its outgrowth, and guiding axon pathfinding. However, such dominant-negative approaches might affect processes in which APC is not essential. We completely removed both APCs from Drosophila melanogaster larval neural precursors and neurons, testing whether APCs play universal roles in neuronal polarity. Surprisingly, APCs are not essential for asymmetric cell division or the stereotyped division axis of central brain (CB) neuroblasts, although they do affect cell cycle progression and spindle architecture. Likewise, CB, lobular plug, and mushroom body neurons do not require APCs for polarization, axon outgrowth, or, in the latter two cases, axon targeting. These data suggest that proposed cytoskeletal roles for APCs in mammals should be reassessed using loss of function tools.

Source: The Journal of Cell Biology

DOI: 10.1083/jcb.200807079

Authors: Nasser M. Rusan, Kathryn Akong, Mark Peifer

Institutions: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center

Language: English

Topic: Axon Guidance and Neuronal Signaling

Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Awards: G630070566, G6462444048