title: Post-transcriptional control of neurofilaments: New roles in development, regeneration and neurodegenerative disease.
abstract: Neurofilament (NF) protein expression is coupled to axon development and the maintenance of neuronal homeostasis. Here, we present evidence that this tight regulation depends critically on post-transcriptionally regulated changes in NF mRNA transport, translation and stability. Recent studies have shown that post-transcriptional mechanisms modulate increases in NF gene transcription during axon regeneration to yield the final pattern of NF protein expression. Other recent work has found that post-transcriptional control of NFs shares elements with that of other axonal proteins and that its dysregulation contributes to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Such studies herald a novel approach to understanding how neurons coordinate the expressions of functionally related proteins and provide new insights into how the dysregulation of this control can lead to disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences and the Neuroscience Research Center, University at Albany, SUNY, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA. bgs86@albany.edu
authors.forename: Ben G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Szaro
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Strong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015870:Gene Expression; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D016900:Neurofilament Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger