Abstract
Regulated growth and arborization of dendritic processes are critical to the formation of functional neuronal networks. Here we identify beta-catenin as a critical mediator of dendritic morphogenesis. We found that increasing the intracellular levels of beta-catenin and other members of the cadherin/catenin complex, namely N-cadherin and alphaN-catenin, enhances dendritic arborization in rat hippocampal neurons, an effect that does not require Wnt/beta-catenin-dependent transcription. Conversely, proteins that sequester beta-catenin decreased dendritic branch tip number and total dendritic branch length. Enhancement of dendritic growth elicited by depolarization requires beta-catenin and increased Wnt release. These results identify Wnt/beta-catenin signaling as an important mediator of dendritic development and suggest that the intracellular level of the cadherin/catenin complex is a limiting factor during critical stages of dendritic morphogenesis.
Publication types
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Comparative Study
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate / pharmacology
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Anesthetics, Local / pharmacology
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Animals
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Animals, Newborn
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Cadherins / metabolism
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Calcium Channel Blockers / pharmacology
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Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / metabolism
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Cells, Cultured
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Culture Media, Conditioned / pharmacology
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Cytoskeletal Proteins / physiology*
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DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
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Dendrites / drug effects
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Dendrites / physiology*
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Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
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Drug Interactions
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Embryo, Mammalian
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Epitopes / metabolism
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Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / pharmacology
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Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
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Green Fluorescent Proteins
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Hippocampus / cytology
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Hippocampus / metabolism
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Humans
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Kidney
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Luminescent Proteins / metabolism
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Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1
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Morphogenesis / drug effects
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Morphogenesis / physiology*
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Mutation
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Neurons / cytology*
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Neurons / drug effects
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Nifedipine / pharmacology
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Potassium Chloride / pharmacology
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Probability
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism
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Rats
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Rats, Sprague-Dawley
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Signal Transduction / drug effects
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Signal Transduction / physiology
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Sodium Chloride / pharmacology
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Tetrodotoxin / pharmacology
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Trans-Activators / physiology*
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Transcription Factors / metabolism
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Transfection
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Wnt Proteins
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Zebrafish Proteins*
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beta Catenin
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rho GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism
Substances
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Anesthetics, Local
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CTNNB1 protein, human
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Cadherins
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Calcium Channel Blockers
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Ctnnb1 protein, rat
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Culture Media, Conditioned
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Cytoskeletal Proteins
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DNA-Binding Proteins
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Epitopes
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Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists
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Luminescent Proteins
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Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins
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Trans-Activators
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Transcription Factors
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Wnt Proteins
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Zebrafish Proteins
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beta Catenin
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Green Fluorescent Proteins
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Tetrodotoxin
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Sodium Chloride
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Potassium Chloride
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2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate
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Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases
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rho GTP-Binding Proteins
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Nifedipine