title: E-cadherin promotes retinal ganglion cell neurite outgrowth in a protein tyrosine phosphatase-mu-dependent manner.
abstract: During development of the visual system, retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) require cell-cell adhesion molecules and extracellular matrix proteins for axon growth. In this study, we demonstrate that the classical cadherin, E-cadherin, is expressed in RGCs from E6 to E12 and promotes neurite outgrowth from all regions of the chick retina at E6, E8 and E10. E-cadherin is also expressed in the optic tectum. E-cadherin adhesion blocking antibodies specifically inhibit neurite outgrowth on an E-cadherin substrate. The receptor-type protein tyrosine phosphatase, PTPmu, associates with E-cadherin. In this manuscript, we demonstrate that antisense-mediated down-regulation of PTPmu, overexpression of catalytically inactive PTPmu and perturbation of endogenous PTPmu using a specific PTPmu inhibitor peptide results in a substantial reduction in neurite outgrowth on E-cadherin. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that E-cadherin is an important adhesion molecule for chick RGC neurite outgrowth and suggest that PTPmu expression and catalytic activity are required for outgrowth on an E-cadherin substrate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106-4960, USA.
authors.forename: Samantha A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Oblander
authors.forename: Sonya E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Ensslen-Craig
authors.forename: Frank M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.forename: Susann M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Brady-Kalnay
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002642:Chick Embryo; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D020439:Growth Cones / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016501:Neurites / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D020319:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides, Antisense / Q000494:pharmacology; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D054623:Receptor-Like Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases, Class 2; D054635:Receptor-Like Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases, Class 8; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013477:Superior Colliculi / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens; D015820:Cadherins; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D020319:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides, Antisense; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases; D054623:Receptor-Like Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases, Class 2; D054635:Receptor-Like Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases, Class 8