title: Delta-catenin regulates spine and synapse morphogenesis and function in hippocampal neurons during development.
abstract: The maintenance of spine and synapse number during development is critical for neuronal circuit formation and function. Here we show that delta-catenin, a component of the cadherin-catenin cell adhesion complex, regulates spine and synapse morphogenesis during development. Genetic ablation or acute knockdown of delta-catenin leads to increases in spine and synapse density, accompanied by a decrease in tetrodotoxin induced spine plasticity. Our results indicate that delta-catenin may mediate conversion of activity-dependent signals to morphological spine plasticity. The functional role of delta-catenin in regulating spine density does not require binding to cadherins, but does require interactions with PDZ domain-containing proteins. We propose that the perturbations in spine and synaptic structure and function observed after depletion of delta-catenin during development may contribute to functional alterations in neural circuitry, the cognitive deficits observed in mutant mice, and the mental retardation pathology of Cri-du-chat syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Beckman Vision Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA. Jyothi.arikkath@ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Jyothi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arikkath
authors.forename: I-Feng
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Yu Gie
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Inbal
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Israely
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Erik M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Ullian
authors.forename: Louis F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Reichardt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D051177:Catenins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D049229:Dendritic Spines / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000095002:Delta Catenin
chemical_list: D051177:Catenins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D000095002:Delta Catenin