Requirement of dendritic Akt degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome system for neuronal polarity.
Asymmetric distributions of activities of the protein kinases Akt and glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK-3beta) are critical for the formation of neuronal polarity. However, the mechanisms underlying polarized regulation of this pathway remain unclear. In this study, we report that the instability of Akt regulated by the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is required for neuron polarity. Preferential distribution in the axons was observed for Akt but not for its target GSK-3beta. A photoactivatable GFP fused to Akt revealed the preferential instability of Akt in dendrites. Akt but not p110 or GSK-3beta was ubiquitinated. Suppressing the UPS led to the symmetric distribution of Akt and the formation of multiple axons. These results indicate that local protein degradation mediated by the UPS is important in determining neuronal polarity.
Yan
Dong
D
Laboratory of Neural Signal Transduction, Institute of Neuroscience, Shanghai Institutes of Biological Sciences, China.
Guo
Li
L
Wang
Yizheng
Y
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism; D016764:Cell Polarity / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003712:Dendrites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D007976:Leupeptins / Q000494:pharmacology; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D061988:Proteasome Inhibitors; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational / Q000187:drug effects; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D025801:Ubiquitin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*
D007976:Leupeptins; D061988:Proteasome Inhibitors; D025801:Ubiquitin; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; C000605508:Gsk3b protein, rat; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; C072553:benzyloxycarbonylleucyl-leucyl-leucine aldehyde