Galpha12/Galpha13 deficiency causes localized overmigration of neurons in the developing cerebral and cerebellar cortices.
The heterotrimeric G proteins G(12) and G(13) link G-protein-coupled receptors to the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton and the induction of actomyosin-based cellular contractility. Here we show that conditional ablation of the genes encoding the alpha-subunits of G(12) and G(13) in the nervous system results in neuronal ectopia of the cerebral and cerebellar cortices due to overmigration of cortical plate neurons and cerebellar Purkinje cells, respectively. The organization of the radial glia and the basal lamina was not disturbed, and the Cajal-Retzius cell layer had formed normally in mutant mice. Embryonic cortical neurons lacking G(12)/G(13) were unable to retract their neurites in response to lysophosphatidic acid and sphingosine-1-phosphate, indicating that they had lost the ability to respond to repulsive mediators acting via G-protein-coupled receptors. Our data indicate that G(12)/G(13)-coupled receptors mediate stop signals and are required for the proper positioning of migrating cortical plate neurons and Purkinje cells during development.
Moers
Alexandra
A
Institute of Pharmacology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
Nürnberg
Alexander
A
Goebbels
Sandra
S
Wettschureck
Nina
N
Offermanns
Stefan
S
D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002465:Cell Movement; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002525:Cerebellar Cortex / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development; D054022:Cerebrum / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D044365:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, G12-G13 / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
D044365:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, G12-G13; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein