title: Imaging dynamic molecular signaling by the Cdc42 GTPase within the developing CNS.
abstract: Protein interactions underlie the complexity of neuronal function. Potential interactions between specific proteins in the brain are predicted from assays based on genetic interaction and/or biochemistry. Genetic interaction reveals endogenous, but not necessarily direct, interactions between the proteins. Biochemistry-based assays, on the other hand, demonstrate direct interactions between proteins, but often outside their native environment or without a subcellular context. We aimed to achieve the best of both approaches by visualizing protein interaction directly within the brain of a live animal. Here, we show a proof-of-principle experiment in which the Cdc42 GTPase associates with its alleged partner WASp within neurons during the time and space that coincide with the newly developing CNS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America ; Miami Institute of Molecular Imaging and Computation, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: Nima
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sharifai
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America ; Miami Institute of Molecular Imaging and Computation, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: Hasitha
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Samarajeewa
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America ; Miami Institute of Molecular Imaging and Computation, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America ; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Daichi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kamiyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America ; Miami Institute of Molecular Imaging and Computation, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: Tzyy-Chyn
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America ; Miami Institute of Molecular Imaging and Computation, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boulina
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America ; Miami Institute of Molecular Imaging and Computation, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chiba
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer / Q000379:methods; D056004:Molecular Dynamics Simulation; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D060066:Protein Interaction Maps; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D051316:Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C477859:WASp protein, Drosophila; D051316:Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein