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Neurofilament heavy chain side arm phosphorylation regulates axonal transport of neurofilaments
- Source :
- The Journal of Cell Biology. May 12, 2003, Vol. 161 Issue 3, p489, 7 p.
- Publication Year :
- 2003
-
Abstract
- Neurofilaments possess side arms that comprise the carboxy-terminal domains of neurofilament middle and heavy chains (NFM and NFH); that of NFH is heavily phosphorylated in axons. Here, we demonstrate that phosphorylation of NFH side arms is a mechanism for regulating transport of neurofilaments through axons. Mutants in which known NFH phosphorylation sites were mutated to preclude phosphorylation or mimic permanent phosphorylation display altered rates of transport in a bulk transport assay. Similarly, application of roscovitine, an inhibitor of the NFH side arm kinase Cdk5/p35, accelerates neurofilament transport. Analyses of neurofilament movement in transfected living neurons demonstrated that a mutant mimicking permanent phosphorylation spent a higher proportion of time pausing than one that could not be phosphorylated. Thus, phosphorylation of NFH slows neurofilament transport, and this is due to increased pausing in neurofilament movement.
- Subjects :
- Cytology -- Research
Cytoplasmic filaments -- Research
Biological sciences
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00219525
- Volume :
- 161
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- Gale General OneFile
- Journal :
- The Journal of Cell Biology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- edsgcl.102554802