title: Role of citron kinase in dendritic morphogenesis of cortical neurons.
abstract: Small GTPases of the rho family regulate the extensive rearrangements of the cytoskeleton that characterize neuronal differentiation. Citron kinase is a target molecule for activated rhoA, previously implicated in control of cytokinesis. We have found that, in addition, it could play an important role in modulating the extension of neuronal processes. Using constitutively active and dominant negative mutants, we showed that citron kinase is involved in the morphologic differentiation of N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells induced by serum starvation. More importantly, quantitative analysis of citron kinase knockout cerebral cortex displayed that this molecule may differentially regulate the morphology of the dendritic compartment in corticocollicular versus callosally-projecting pyramidal neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Biology and Biochemistry, University of Torino, Via Santena 5 bis, 10126, Torino, Italy. ferdinando.dicunto@unito.it
authors.forename: Ferdinando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Cunto
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferrara
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Curtetti
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imarisio
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guazzone
authors.forename: Vania
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Broccoli
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bulfone
authors.forename: Fiorella
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Altruda
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vercelli
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Silengo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D003712:Dendrites / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000502:physiology*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C115635:citron-kinase; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases