Search

Brain homeostasis is regulated by the viability and functionality of neurons. HAT (histone acetyltransferase) and HDAC (histone deacetylase) inhibitors have been applied to treat neurological deficits in humans; yet, the epigenetic regulation in neurodegeneration remains elusive. Mutations of HAT cofactor TRRAP (transformation/transcription domain-associated protein) cause human neuropathies, including psychosis, intellectual disability, autism, and epilepsy, with unknown mechanism. Here we show that Trrap deletion in Purkinje neurons results in neurodegeneration of old mice. Integrated transcriptomics, epigenomics, and proteomics reveal that TRRAP via SP1 conducts a conserved transcriptomic program. TRRAP is required for SP1 binding at the promoter proximity of target genes, especially microtubule dynamics. The ectopic expression of Stathmin3/4 ameliorates defects of TRRAP-deficient neurons, indicating that the microtubule dynamics is particularly vulnerable to the action of SP1 activity. This study unravels a network linking three well-known, but up-to-date unconnected, signaling pathways, namely TRRAP, HAT, and SP1 with microtubule dynamics, in neuroprotection.

The evolution of a highly developed nervous system is mirrored by the ability of individual neurons to develop increased morphological complexity. As microtubules (MTs) are crucially involved in neuronal development, we tested the hypothesis that the evolution of complexity is driven by an increasing capacity of the MT system for regulated molecular interactions as it may be implemented by a higher number of molecular players and a greater ability of the individual molecules to interact. We performed bioinformatics analysis on different classes of components of the vertebrate neuronal MT cytoskeleton. We show that the number of orthologs of tubulin structure proteins, MT-binding proteins and tubulin-sequestering proteins expanded during vertebrate evolution. We observed that protein diversity of MT-binding and tubulin-sequestering proteins increased by alternative splicing. In addition, we found that regions of the MT-binding protein tau and MAP6 displayed a clear increase in disorder extent during evolution. The data provide evidence that vertebrate evolution is paralleled by gene expansions, changes in alternative splicing and evolution of coding sequences of components of the MT system. The results suggest that in particular evolutionary changes in tubulin-structure proteins, MT-binding proteins and tubulin-sequestering proteins were prominent drivers for the development of increased neuronal complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nervous system development, plasticity and regeneration require numerous, coordinated and finely tuned subcellular mechanisms. Phosphoproteins of the stathmin family, originally identified as intracellular signal relay proteins, are mostly or exclusively expressed in the nervous system with a high level of expression during brain development. Vertebrate stathmins 1–4 all possess a C-terminal “stathmin-like domain” that binds or releases tubulin in a phosphorylation dependent way, and hence participates in the control of microtubule dynamics, an essential process for neuronal differentiation. Contrary to stathmin 1, stathmins 2–4 possess an N-terminal extension whose reversible palmitoylation specifically targets them to the Golgi and intracellular membranes. Regulation of stathmins 2–4 palmitoylation is therefore an important regulatory mechanism that controls their shuttling to various neuronal compartments where they can then act locally. Expression of stathmins is upregulated during neuronal differentiation and plasticity, and altered in numerous neurodegenerative diseases. Experimental perturbation of stathmins expression in Drosophila or in neurons in culture revealed their importance in neuronal growth and differentiation, each stathmin fulfilling at least partially distinct and likely complementary roles. On the other hand, knock-out of stathmins in mice, with the exception of stathmin 2, resulted in mostly mild or no detected phenotype, revealing likely compensations among stathmins. Altogether, through their combinatorial expression and regulation by phosphorylation and by palmitoylation, and through their interactions with tubulin and other neuronal protein targets, the various stathmins appear as essential regulators of neuronal differentiation at the various stages during development and plasticity of the nervous system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: SCG10 (Superior Cervical Ganglia 10, STMN2) is a member of the stathmin family of proteins. Stathmins regulate microtubule dynamics by inhibiting polymerization and promoting their depolymerization. SCG10 is believed to be a neuronal-specific stathmin that is enriched in the growth cones of developing neurons and plays a role in regulating neurite outgrowth. In all species examined so far, SCG10 is expressed in both the CNS and PNS. We have cloned two zebrafish SCG10 homologues and have determined the temporal and spatial expression pattern of both of these genes by RT-PCR and in situ hybridization. RT-PCR shows that both transcripts are expressed maternally and zygotically through at least 5 days. In situ hybridization analysis reveals that both SCG10 orthologues have dynamic, spatial expression patterns that are nearly identical to each other. Initially, these orthologues are expressed in discrete areas of the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain, as well as in the anterior and posterior lateral line ganglia and transiently in the spinal cord Rohon-Beard neurons. From 48hpf onwards, the level of expression of both genes increases and becomes mainly restricted to the anterior CNS (the forebrain region, retina, optic tectum, and hindbrain), and to the cranial ganglia. From 72 to 96hpf, SCG10 genes are also expressed in the developing neurons in the gut and in the surrounding intestinal mesenchyme. Our results provide a starting point for future studies that will investigate the in vivo function of SCG10 orthologues in zebrafish neural development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]