The transcription factor Cux1 regulates dendritic morphology of cortical pyramidal neurons.
In the murine cerebral cortex, mammalian homologues of the Cux family transcription factors, Cux1 and Cux2, have been identified as restricted molecular markers for the upper layer (II-IV) pyramidal neurons. However, their functions in cortical development are largely unknown. Here we report that increasing the intracellular level of Cux1, but not Cux2, reduced the dendritic complexity of cultured cortical pyramidal neurons. Consistently, reducing the expression of Cux1 promoted the dendritic arborization in these pyramidal neurons. This effect required the existence of the DNA-binding domains, hence the transcriptional passive repression activity of Cux1. Analysis of downstream signals suggested that Cux1 regulates dendrite development primarily through suppressing the expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27(Kip1), and RhoA may mediate the regulation of dendritic complexity by Cux1 and p27. Thus, Cux1 functions as a negative regulator of dendritic complexity for cortical pyramidal neurons.
Li
Ning
N
State Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
Zhao
Chun-Tao
CT
Wang
Ying
Y
Yuan
Xiao-Bing
XB
D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology*; D050760:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27 / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003712:Dendrites / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D034622:RNA Interference; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism
C088424:Cux1 protein, rat; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D050760:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein