Providing the basis for local protein synthesis in dendritic microdomains, RNA transport in dendrites is thought to be underlying long-term neuronal plasticity. Dendritic RNA targeting mechanisms can therefore be expected to confer selective advantages in the evolution of complex neural systems. The question thus arises as to when and how dendritically targeted transcripts first acquired their targeting competence. To address this question, the dendritic targeting competence of MAP2 transcripts was examined in chicken, mouse and rat. In one approach, we established the somato-dendritic distribution of MAP2 transcripts in vivo. We found that in contrast to rodent MAP2 mRNAs, which are highly enriched in dendritic regions of the retina, chicken MAP2 transcripts are virtually absent from such areas and are rather confined to neuronal somata. In an independent line of investigation, we determined that a dendritic targeting element (DTE) corresponding to the mammalian MAP2 DTE is not contained in the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of avian MAP2 mRNA. The combined results indicate that in contrast to mammalian MAP2 transcripts, avian MAP2 mRNA is lacking dendritic targeting competence. The data thus suggest that the acquisition of such competence has likely been a relatively recent event in evolution.
Copyright 2004 Elsevier Ltd.