Publications (2)45.96 Total impact
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Article: Secreted semaphorins control spine distribution and morphogenesis in the postnatal CNS.
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ABSTRACT: The majority of excitatory synapses in the mammalian CNS (central nervous system) are formed on dendritic spines, and spine morphology and distribution are critical for synaptic transmission, synaptic integration and plasticity. Here, we show that a secreted semaphorin, Sema3F, is a negative regulator of spine development and synaptic structure. Mice with null mutations in genes encoding Sema3F, and its holoreceptor components neuropilin-2 (Npn-2, also known as Nrp2) and plexin A3 (PlexA3, also known as Plxna3), exhibit increased dentate gyrus (DG) granule cell (GC) and cortical layer V pyramidal neuron spine number and size, and also aberrant spine distribution. Moreover, Sema3F promotes loss of spines and excitatory synapses in dissociated neurons in vitro, and in Npn-2(-/-) brain slices cortical layer V and DG GCs exhibit increased mEPSC (miniature excitatory postsynaptic current) frequency. In contrast, a distinct Sema3A-Npn-1/PlexA4 signalling cascade controls basal dendritic arborization in layer V cortical neurons, but does not influence spine morphogenesis or distribution. These disparate effects of secreted semaphorins are reflected in the restricted dendritic localization of Npn-2 to apical dendrites and of Npn-1 (also known as Nrp1) to all dendrites of cortical pyramidal neurons. Therefore, Sema3F signalling controls spine distribution along select dendritic processes, and distinct secreted semaphorin signalling events orchestrate CNS connectivity through the differential control of spine morphogenesis, synapse formation, and the elaboration of dendritic morphology.Nature 12/2009; 462(7276):1065-9. · 36.28 Impact Factor -
Article: Genetic deletion of the Nogo receptor does not reduce neurite inhibition in vitro or promote corticospinal tract regeneration in vivo.
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ABSTRACT: Axon regeneration failure in the adult mammalian CNS is attributed in part to the inhibitory nature of CNS myelin. Three myelin-associated, structurally distinct proteins, Nogo, myelin-associated glycoprotein, and oligodendrocyte myelin glycoprotein, have been implicated in this inhibition. Neuronal Nogo receptor (NgR) binds to each of the three inhibitors and has been proposed to mediate their inhibitory signals by complexing with a signal-transducing coreceptor, the neurotrophin receptor p75(NTR). To assess the contribution of NgR to mediating myelin inhibitory signals and regeneration failure in vivo, we generated and characterized NgR-deficient mice. Nogo transcripts are up-regulated in NgR mutants, indicating that NgR regulates Nogo in vivo. However, neurite outgrowth from NgR-deficient postnatal dorsal root ganglion or cerebellar granule neurons is inhibited by myelin and by a Nogo-66 substrate to the same extent as is from wild-type neurons, whereas p75(NTR)-deficient neurons are less inhibited. The NgR ligand-binding domain promotes neurite outgrowth on Nogo-66, regardless of the genotype of the neurons, indicating that the NgR ligand-binding domain can act independent of NgR. Thus, NgR is not essential for mediating inhibitory signals from CNS myelin, at least in the neurons tested, whereas p75(NTR) plays a central role in this response. Neither NgR-nor p75(NTR)-deficient mice showed enhanced regeneration of corticospinal tract axons in comparison with wild-type controls after spinal dorsal hemisection. Our results thus fail to support a central role for NgR in axonal growth inhibition in vitro or in corticospinal tract regeneration block in vivo.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 02/2005; 102(4):1205-10. · 9.68 Impact Factor
