title: Targeting transcription to the neuromuscular synapse.
abstract: Concomitant with innervation, genes coding for components of the neuromuscular junction become exclusively expressed in subsynaptic nuclei. A six-base pair element, the N box, can confer synapse-specific transcription to the acetylcholine nicotinic receptor delta and epsilon subunit, utrophin, and acetylcholine esterase genes. N box-dependent synaptic expression is stimulated by the nerve-derived signal agrin and the trophic factor neuregulin, which triggers the MAPK and JNK signaling pathways, to ultimately allow activation by the N box binding Ets transcription factor GABP.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Neurobiologie Moléculaire, CNRS URA 2182 "Récepteurs et Cognition", Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Cedex 15, Paris, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schaeffer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Kerchove d'Exaerde
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Changeux
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000502:physiology; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000502:physiology*; D021122:Protein Subunits; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000235:genetics; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D049411:Utrophin
chemical_list: D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D021122:Protein Subunits; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D014157:Transcription Factors; D049411:Utrophin; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase