Article
- The EMBO Journal (2007) 26, 1397 - 1409
- doi:10.1038/sj.emboj.7601569
Published online: 15 February 2007
Subject Category:
Abelson interacting protein 1 (Abi-1) is essential for dendrite morphogenesis and synapse formation
Christian Proepper1, Svenja Johannsen1, Stefan Liebau1, Janine Dahl1, Bianca Vaida1, Juergen Bockmann1, Michael R Kreutz2, Eckart D Gundelfinger2 and Tobias M Boeckers1
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Neurochemistry and Molecular Biology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, IfN, Magdeburg, Germany
Correspondence to:
Tobias M Boeckers, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Albert Einstein Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany. Tel.: +49 731 5023220; Fax: +49 731 5023217; E-mail: tobias.boeckers@uni-ulm.de
Received 20 June 2006; Accepted 3 January 2007
Abstract
Synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity depend crucially on the dynamic and locally specific regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. We identified an important component for controlled actin assembly, abelson interacting protein-1 (Abi-1), as a binding partner for the postsynaptic density (PSD) protein ProSAP2/Shank3. During early neuronal development, Abi-1 is localized in neurites and growth cones; at later stages, the protein is enriched in dendritic spines and PSDs, as are components of a trimeric complex consisting of Abi-1, Eps8 and Sos-1. Abi-1 translocates upon NMDA application from PSDs to nuclei. Nuclear entry depends on abelson kinase activity. Abi-1 co-immunoprecipitates with the transcription factor complex of Myc/Max proteins and enhances E-box-regulated gene transcription. Downregulation of Abi-1 by small interfering RNA results in excessive dendrite branching, immature spine and synapse morphology and a reduction of synapses, whereas overexpression of Abi-1 has the opposite effect. Data show that Abi-1 can act as a specific synapto-nuclear messenger and is essentially involved in dendrite and synapse formation.
Keywords:
- actin,
- ProSAP2,
- PSD,
- Shank3,
- synapse
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