title: Mammalian SAD kinases are required for neuronal polarization.
abstract: Electrical activity in neurons is generally initiated in dendritic processes then propagated along axons to synapses, where it is passed to other neurons. Major structural features of neurons-their dendrites and axons-are thus related to their fundamental functions: the receipt and transmission of information. The acquisition of these distinct properties by dendrites and axons, called polarization, is a critical step in neuronal differentiation. We show here that SAD-A and SAD-B, mammalian orthologs of a kinase needed for presynaptic differentiation in Caenorhabditis elegans, are required for neuronal polarization. These kinases will provide entry points for unraveling signaling mechanisms that polarize neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University Medical School, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kishi
authors.forename: Y Albert
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Justin Gage
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Crump
authors.forename: Joshua R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Sanes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D016764:Cell Polarity; D048430:Cell Shape; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D003712:Dendrites / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology; D051379:Mice; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010766:Phosphorylation; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000737:chemistry / Q000196:embryology; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D016875:tau Proteins; C496826:Brsk1 protein, mouse; C496825:Brsk2 protein, mouse; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases