title: Two mRNA-binding proteins regulate the distribution of syntaxin mRNA in Aplysia sensory neurons.
abstract: Targeting mRNAs to different functional domains within neurons is crucial to memory storage. In Aplysia sensory neurons, syntaxin mRNA accumulates at the axon hillock during long-term facilitation of sensory-motor neuron synapses produced by serotonin (5-HT). We find that the 3' untranslated region of Aplysia syntaxin mRNA has two targeting elements, the cytosolic polyadenylation element (CPE) and stem-loop double-stranded structures that appear to interact with mRNA-binding proteins CPEB and Staufen. Blocking the interaction between these targeting elements and their RNA-binding proteins abolished both accumulation at the axon hillock and long-term facilitation. CPEB, which we previously have shown to be upregulated after stimulation with 5-HT, is required for the relocalization of syntaxin mRNA to the axon hillock from the opposite pole in the cell body of the sensory neuron during long-term facilitation, whereas Staufen is required for maintaining the accumulation of the mRNA both at the axon hillock after the treatment with 5-HT and at the opposite pole in stable, unstimulated sensory neurons. Thus, the cooperative actions of the two mRNA-binding proteins serve to direct the distribution of an mRNA encoding a key synaptic protein.
authors: Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York 10032, USA.
authors: Jinming
authors: J
authors: Liu
authors: Jiang-Yuan
authors: JY
authors: Hu
authors: Fang
authors: F
authors: Wu
authors: James H
authors: JH
authors: Schwartz
authors: Samuel
authors: S
authors: Schacher