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DISC1 regulates cell–cell adhesion, cell–matrix adhesion and neurite outgrowth

Abstract

Disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) is a promising susceptibility gene for major mental illness. Recent studies have implicated DISC1 in key neurodevelopmental processes, including neurite outgrowth, neuronal migration and proliferation. Here, we report that DISC1 regulates cell–cell and cell–matrix adhesion and neurite outgrowth. DISC1 overexpression increased expression of the adherence junction protein N-cadherin and enhanced cell–cell adhesion. The increased N-cadherin accumulated in the areas of cell–cell contact. DISC1 overexpression also enhanced cell–matrix adhesion by inducing expression of β1-integrin protein. In the presence of nerve growth factor (NGF), DISC1 overexpression increased β1-integrin expression at the cell membrane and growth cone. NGF-induced neurite extension was enhanced by DISC1, and anti-β1-integrin antibody reduced the neurite outgrowth of DISC1-overexpressing cells to the control level. Furthermore, DISC1 also regulated N-cadherin and β1-integrin expression at the cell membrane in primary neurons. We conclude that DISC1 regulates cell–cell adhesion and cell–matrix adhesion by regulating the expression of adhesion molecules.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr A Kamiya and Dr A Sawa for providing us with DISC1-mNLS1 vector and Ms Arakawa, Ms Moriya and Ms Ohashi for preparing our experiments. This research was partly supported by Global COE program of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan and by a grant from Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd.

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Hattori, T., Shimizu, S., Koyama, Y. et al. DISC1 regulates cell–cell adhesion, cell–matrix adhesion and neurite outgrowth. Mol Psychiatry 15, 798–809 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2010.60

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