Yap, C. C. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2017

Nestin in immature embryonic neurons regulates axon growth cone morphology and Sema3a sensitivity

Correct wiring in the neocortex requires that responses to an individual guidance cue vary among neurons in the same location, and within the same neuron over time. Nestin is an atypical intermediate filament expressed highly in neural progenitors and is thus used widely as a progenitor marker. Here we show a subpopulation of embryonic cortical neurons which transiently express nestin in their axons. Nestin expression is thus not restricted to neural progenitors but persists at lower levels in some newborn neurons for 2-3 days. We found that nestin-expressing neurons have smaller growth cones, suggesting that nestin affects cytoskeletal dynamics. Nestin, unlike other intermediate filament subtypes, regulates cdk5 kinase. Cdk5 activity is induced by the repulsive guidance cue Sema3a leading to growth cone collapse in vitro. Therefore, we tested whether nestin-expressing neurons showed altered responses to Sema3a. We find that nestin-expressing newborn neurons are more sensitive to Sema3a in a roscovitine-sensitive manner, whereas nestin knockdown results in lowered sensitivity to Sema3a. We propose that nestin functions in immature neurons to modulate cdk5 and thereby the Sema3a response. Thus, the transient expression of nestin could allow for temporal modulation of a neuron's response to Sema3a particularly during early axon guidance decisions.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2017

Bulk degradation of dendritic cargos requires Rab7-dependent transport in Rab7-positive/LAMP1-negative endosomes to somatic lysosomes.

Regulation of protein homeostasis (\"proteostasis\") is necessary for maintaining healthy cells. Disturbances in proteostasis lead to aggregates, cellular stress and can result in toxicity. There is thus great interest in when and where proteins are degraded in cells. Neurons are very large as well as very long-lived, creating unusually high needs for effective regulation of protein turnover in time and space. We previously discovered that the dendritic membrane proteins Nsg1 and Nsg2 are short-lived with half-lives of less than two hours. Their short half-lives enabled us to ask whether these proteins are degraded by local degradative pathways in dendrites. We discovered a striking spatial gradient of late endosomes/lysosomes in dendrites, with late endosomes (Rab7-positive/LAMP1-negative/cathepsinB-negative) found in distal portion of dendrites, and degradative lysosomes (LAMP1-positive/cathepsinB-positive) being overwhelmingly found in the soma and in the proximal portion of dendrites. Surprisingly, the majority of dendritic Rab7-positive late endosomes do not contain LAMP1, unlike Rab7-positive late endosomes in fibroblasts. Secondly, Rab7 activity is required to mobilize these distal pre-degradative dendritic late endosomes for transport to the soma and degradation. We conclude that the vast majority of dendritic LAMP1-positive endosomes are not degradative lysosomes and that bulk degradation of dendritic cargos, such as Nsg1, Nsg2, and DNER, requires Rab7-dependent transport in late endosomes to somatic lysosomes.

cell biology↗