Map1b regulates axonal development by modulating rho-gtpase rac1 activity

Cultured neurons obtained from MAP1B-deficient mice have a delay in axon outgrowth and a reduced rate of axonal elongation compared with neurons from wild-type mice. Here we show that MAP1B deficiency results in a significant decrease in Rac1 and cdc42 activity and a significant increase in Rho activity. We found that MAP1B interacted with Tiam1, a guanosine nucleotide exchange factor for Rac1. The decrease in Rac1/cdc42 activity was paralleled by decreases in the phosphorylation of the downstream effectors of these proteins, such as LIMK-1 and cofilin. The expression of a constitutively active form of Rac1, cdc42, or Tiam1 rescued the axon growth defect of MAP1B-deficient neurons. Taken together, these observations define a new and crucial function of MAP1B that we show to be required for efficient cross-talk between microtubules and the actin cytoskeleton during neuronal polarization.
This work was supported by FONDECYT (PICT 05-01697) and grants from FONCyT (PICT 815), Agencia Cordoba Ciencia, and HHMI to A.C. J.A. was supported by a Plan National Grant (SAF 2006-02424), CIBERNED and Comunidad de Madrid (SAL 0202-2006). C.G.-B. was supported by Fondecyt 1095089 and ICM P05-001-F.