Abbreviated Journal Title
J. Neurosci.
Keywords
NF2 TUMOR-SUPPRESSOR; REGULATES ACTIN; LIM-KINASE; DYNAMICS; MIGRATION; PHOSPHORYLATION; ORGANIZATION; BEHAVIOR; CANCER; BETA-1-INTEGRIN; Neurosciences
Abstract
Myelination is a complex process requiring coordination of directional motility and an increase in glial cell size to generate a multilamellar myelin sheath. Regulation of actin dynamics during myelination is poorly understood. However, it is known that myelin thickness is related to the abundance of neuregulin-1 (NRG1) expressed on the axon surface. Here we identify cofilin1, an actin depolymerizing and severing protein, as a downstream target of NRG1 signaling in rat Schwann cells (SCs). In isolated SCs, NRG1 promotes dephosphorylation of cofilin1 and its upstream regulators, LIM kinase (LIMK) and Slingshot-1 phosphatase (SSH1), leading to cofilin1 activation and recruitment to the leading edge of the plasma membrane. These changes are associated with rapid membrane expansion yielding a 35-50% increase in SC size within 30 min. Cofilin1-deficient SCs increase phosphorylation of ErbB2, ERK, focal adhesion kinase, and paxillin in response to NRG1, but fail to increase in size possibly due to stabilization of unusually long focal adhesions. Cofilin1-deficient SCs cocultured with sensory neurons do not myelinate. Ultrastructural analysis reveals that they unsuccessfully segregate or engage axons and form only patchy basal lamina. After 48 h of coculturing with neurons, cofilin1-deficient SCs do not align or elongate on axons and often form adhesions with the underlying substrate. This study identifies cofilin1 and its upstream regulators, LIMK and SSH1, as end targets of a NRG1 signaling pathway and demonstrates that cofilin1 is necessary for dynamic changes in the cytoskeleton needed for axon engagement and myelination by SCs.
Journal Title
Journal of Neuroscience
Volume
32
Issue/Number
15
Publication Date
1-1-2012
Document Type
Article
Language
English
First Page
5284
Last Page
5297
WOS Identifier
ISSN
0270-6474
Recommended Citation
Sparrow, Nicklaus; Manetti, Maria Elisa; Bott, Marga; Fabianac, Tiffany; Petrilli, Alejandra; Bates, Margaret Longest; Bunge, Mary Bartlett; Lambert, Stephen; and Fernandez-Valle, Cristina, "The Actin-Severing Protein Cofilin Is Downstream of Neuregulin Signaling and Is Essential For Schwann Cell Myelination" (2012). Faculty Bibliography 2010s. 3341.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/facultybib2010/3341
Comments
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