Prion protein promotes growth cone development through reggie/flotillin-dependent N-cadherin trafficking

J Neurosci. 2011 Dec 7;31(49):18013-25. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4729-11.2011.

Abstract

The role of prion protein (PrP) is insufficiently understood partially because PrP-deficient (-/-) neurons from C57BL/6J mice seem to differentiate normally and are functionally mildly impaired. Here, we reassessed this notion and, unexpectedly, discovered that PrP(-/-) hippocampal growth cones were abnormally small and poor in filopodia and cargo-containing vesicles. Based on our findings that PrP-PrP trans-interaction recruits E-cadherin to cell contact sites and reggie microdomains, and that reggies are essential for growth by regulating membrane trafficking, we reasoned that PrP and reggie might promote cargo (N-cadherin) delivery via PrP-reggie-connected signaling upon PrP activation (by PrP-Fc-induced trans-interaction). In wild-type but not PrP(-/-) neurons, PrP activation led to (1) enhanced PrP-reggie cocluster formation, (2) reggie-associated fyn and MAP kinase activation, (3) Exo70 and N-cadherin (cargo) recruitment to reggie, (4) the preference of the growth cone for PrP-Fc as substrate, and (5) longer neurites. Conversely, PrP-reggie-induced N-cadherin recruitment was blocked by mutant TC10, the GTPase downstream of reggie, triggering exocyst-assisted cargo delivery. This implies that PrP functions in reggie-mediated signaling and cargo trafficking, thus promoting growth cone complexity and vitality and thereby growth cone elongation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Analysis of Variance
  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Cadherins / metabolism*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Exocytosis / drug effects
  • Exocytosis / genetics
  • Growth Cones / drug effects*
  • Hippocampus / cytology
  • MAP Kinase Signaling System / drug effects
  • MAP Kinase Signaling System / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Neurites / drug effects
  • Neurites / physiology
  • Neurons / cytology*
  • Peptides / pharmacology
  • Prions / genetics
  • Prions / pharmacology*
  • Protein Transport / drug effects
  • Protein Transport / genetics
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Transfection / methods
  • Vesicular Transport Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Cadherins
  • Exo70 protein, mouse
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Peptides
  • Prions
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Vesicular Transport Proteins
  • flotillins