title: SNX26, a GTPase-activating protein for Cdc42, interacts with PSD-95 protein and is involved in activity-dependent dendritic spine formation in mature neurons.
abstract: SNX26, a brain-enriched RhoGAP, plays a key role in dendritic arborization during early neuronal development in the neocortex. In mature neurons, it is localized to dendritic spines, but little is known about its role in later stages of development. Our results show that SNX26 interacts with PSD-95 in dendritic spines of cultured hippocampal neurons, and as a GTPase-activating protein for Cdc42, it decreased the F-actin content in COS-7 cells and in dendritic spines of neurons. Overexpression of SNX26 resulted in a GTPase-activating protein activity-dependent decrease in total protrusions and spine density together with dramatic inhibition of filopodia-to-spine transformations. Such effects of SNX26 were largely rescued by a constitutively active mutant of Cdc42. Consistently, an shRNA-mediated knockdown of SNX26 significantly increased total protrusions and spine density, resulting in an increase in thin or stubby type spines at the expense of the mushroom spine type. Moreover, endogenous expression of SNX26 was shown to be bi-directionally modulated by neuronal activity. Therefore, we propose that in addition to its key role in neuronal development, SNX26 also has a role in the activity-dependent structural change of dendritic spines in mature neurons.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Physiology and Biomedical Sciences.
authors.forename: Yoonju
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chang Man
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Sunghoe
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D019556:COS Cells; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D049229:Dendritic Spines / Q000378:metabolism*; D000076122:Disks Large Homolog 4 Protein; D020690:GTPase-Activating Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051528:Guanylate Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011554:Pseudopodia / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference; D051381:Rats; D058305:Sorting Nexins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D000076122:Disks Large Homolog 4 Protein; C501447:Dlg4 protein, mouse; D020690:GTPase-Activating Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C584832:SNX26 protein, mouse; D058305:Sorting Nexins; D051528:Guanylate Kinases
keywords: Actin; Cdc42; Dendrite; Dendritic Spine; Neurons; PSD-95; RhoGAP; SNX26; Synapses; Synaptic Plasticity