title: microRNA-9 regulates axon extension and branching by targeting Map1b in mouse cortical neurons.
abstract: The capacity of neurons to develop a long axon and multiple dendrites defines neuron connectivity in the CNS. The highly conserved microRNA-9 (miR-9) is expressed in both neuronal precursors and some post-mitotic neurons, and we detected miR-9 expression in the axons of primary cortical neurons. We found that miR-9 controlled axonal extension and branching by regulating the levels of Map1b, an important protein for microtubule stability. Following microfluidic separation of the axon and the soma, we found that miR-9 repressed Map1b translation and was a functional target for the BDNF-dependent control of axon extension and branching. We propose that miR-9 links regulatory signaling processes with dynamic translation mechanisms, controlling Map1b protein levels and axon development.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Michael Smith Building, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dajas-Bailador
authors.forename: Boyan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bonev
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Garcez
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stanley
authors.forename: Francois
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guillemot
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Papalopulu