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Neurofilament depletion improves microtubule dynamics via modulation of Stat3/stathmin signaling
(2016)
In neurons, microtubules form a dense array within axons, and the stability and function of this microtubule network is modulated by neurofilaments. Accumulation of neurofilaments has been observed in several forms of neurodegenerative diseases, but the mechanisms how elevated neurofilament levels destabilize axons are unknown so far. Here, we show that increased neurofilament expression in motor nerves of pmn mutant mice, a model of motoneuron disease, causes disturbed microtubule dynamics. The disease is caused by a point mutation in the tubulin-specific chaperone E (Tbce) gene, leading to an exchange of the most C-terminal amino acid tryptophan to glycine. As a consequence, the TBCE protein becomes instable which then results in destabilization of axonal microtubules and defects in axonal transport, in particular in motoneurons. Depletion of neurofilament increases the number and regrowth of microtubules in pmn mutant motoneurons and restores axon elongation. This effect is mediated by interaction of neurofilament with the stathmin complex. Accumulating neurofilaments associate with stathmin in axons of pmn mutant motoneurons. Depletion of neurofilament by Nefl knockout increases Stat3-stathmin interaction and stabilizes the microtubules in pmn mutant motoneurons. Consequently, counteracting enhanced neurofilament expression improves axonal maintenance and prolongs survival of pmn mutant mice. We propose that this mechanism could also be relevant for other neurodegenerative diseases in which neurofilament accumulation and loss of microtubules are prominent features.
Synapse-associated protein 1 (Syap1/BSTA) is the mammalian homologue of Sap47 (synapse-associated protein of 47 kDa) in Drosophila. Sap47 null mutant larvae show reduced short-term synaptic plasticity and a defect in associative behavioral plasticity. In cultured adipocytes, Syap1 functions as part of a complex that phosphorylates protein kinase B alpha/Akt1 (Akt1) at Ser\(^{473}\) and promotes differentiation. The role of Syap1 in the vertebrate nervous system is unknown. Here, we generated a Syap1 knock-out mouse and show that lack of Syap1 is compatible with viability and fertility. Adult knock-out mice show no overt defects in brain morphology. In wild-type brain, Syap1 is found widely distributed in synaptic neuropil, notably in regions rich in glutamatergic synapses, but also in perinuclear structures associated with the Golgi apparatus of specific groups of neuronal cell bodies. In cultured motoneurons, Syap1 is located in axons and growth cones and is enriched in a perinuclear region partially overlapping with Golgi markers. We studied in detail the influence of Syap1 knockdown and knockout on structure and development of these cells. Importantly, Syap1 knockout does not affect motoneuron survival or axon growth. Unexpectedly, neither knockdown nor knockout of Syap1 in cultured motoneurons is associated with reduced Ser\(^{473}\) or Thr\(^{308}\) phosphorylation of Akt. Our findings demonstrate a widespread expression of Syap1 in the mouse central nervous system with regionally specific distribution patterns as illustrated in particular for olfactory bulb, hippocampus, and cerebellum.
Background: During early prenatal stages of brain development, serotonin (5-HT)-specific neurons migrate through somal translocation to form the raphe nuclei and subsequently begin to project to their target regions. The rostral cluster of cells, comprising the median and dorsal raphe (DR), innervates anterior regions of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex. Differential analysis of the mouse 5-HT system transcriptome identified enrichment of cell adhesion molecules in 5-HT neurons of the DR. One of these molecules, cadherin-13 (Cdh13) has been shown to play a role in cell migration, axon pathfinding, and synaptogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the contribution of Cdh13 to the development of the murine brain 5-HT system.
Methods: For detection of Cdh13 and components of the 5-HT system at different embryonic developmental stages of the mouse brain, we employed immunofluorescence protocols and imaging techniques, including epifluorescence, confocal and structured illumination microscopy. The consequence of CDH13 loss-of-function mutations on brain 5-HT system development was explored in a mouse model of Cdh13 deficiency.
Results: Our data show that in murine embryonic brain Cdh13 is strongly expressed on 5-HT specific neurons of the DR and in radial glial cells (RGCs), which are critically involved in regulation of neuronal migration. We observed that 5-HT neurons are intertwined with these RGCs, suggesting that these neurons undergo RGC-guided migration. Cdh13 is present at points of intersection between these two cell types. Compared to wildtype controls, Cdh13-deficient mice display increased cell densities in the DR at embryonic stages E13.5, E17.5, and adulthood, and higher serotonergic innervation of the prefrontal cortex at E17.5.
Conclusion: Our findings provide evidence for a role of CDH13 in the development of the serotonergic system in early embryonic stages. Specifically, we indicate that Cdh13 deficiency affects the cell density of the developing DR and the posterior innervation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), and therefore might be involved in the migration, axonal outgrowth and terminal target finding of DR 5-HT neurons. Dysregulation of CDH13 expression may thus contribute to alterations in this system of neurotransmission, impacting cognitive function, which is frequently impaired in neurodevelopmental disorders including attention-deficit/hyperactivity and autism spectrum disorders.