Drebrin E is involved in the regulation of axonal growth through actin-myosin interactions

J Neurochem. 2009 Apr;109(2):611-22. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2009.05993.x. Epub 2009 Feb 13.

Abstract

Drebrin is a well-known side-binding protein of F-actin in the brain. Immunohistochemical data suggest that the peripheral parts of growing axons are enriched in the drebrin E isoform and mature axons are not. It has also been observed that drebrin E is concentrated in the growth cones of PC12 cells. These data strongly suggest that drebrin E plays a role in axonal growth during development. In this study, we used primary hippocampal neuronal cultures to analyze the role of drebrin E. Immunocytochemistry showed that within axonal growth cones drebrin E specifically localized to the transitional zone, an area in which dense networks of F-actins and microtubules overlapped. Over-expression of drebrin E caused drebrin E and F-actin to accumulate throughout the growth cone and facilitated axonal growth. In contrast, knockdown of drebrin E reduced drebrin E and F-actin in the growth cone and prevented axonal growth. Furthermore, inhibition of myosin II ATPase masked the promoting effects of drebrin E over-expression on axonal growth. These results suggest that drebrin E plays a role in axonal growth through actin-myosin interactions in the transitional zone of axonal growth cones.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Actins / metabolism*
  • Actins / physiology
  • Animals
  • Axons / chemistry
  • Axons / physiology*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Growth Cones / chemistry
  • Growth Cones / physiology
  • Hippocampus / cytology
  • Hippocampus / metabolism
  • Hippocampus / physiology
  • Myosins / metabolism*
  • Myosins / physiology
  • Neurogenesis / physiology
  • Neuropeptides / physiology*
  • Protein Binding / physiology
  • Rats

Substances

  • Actins
  • Neuropeptides
  • drebrin E
  • Myosins