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Regulation of neuronal axon specification by glia-neuron gap junctions in C. elegans.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Meng, L; Zhang, A; Jin, Y; Yan, D
Published in: Elife
October 21, 2016

Axon specification is a critical step in neuronal development, and the function of glial cells in this process is not fully understood. Here, we show that C. elegans GLR glial cells regulate axon specification of their nearby GABAergic RME neurons through GLR-RME gap junctions. Disruption of GLR-RME gap junctions causes misaccumulation of axonal markers in non-axonal neurites of RME neurons and converts microtubules in those neurites to form an axon-like assembly. We further uncover that GLR-RME gap junctions regulate RME axon specification through activation of the CDK-5 pathway in a calcium-dependent manner, involving a calpain clp-4. Therefore, our study reveals the function of glia-neuron gap junctions in neuronal axon specification and shows that calcium originated from glial cells can regulate neuronal intracellular pathways through gap junctions.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Elife

DOI

EISSN

2050-084X

Publication Date

October 21, 2016

Volume

5

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Neurons
  • Neuroglia
  • Gap Junctions
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Caenorhabditis elegans
  • Animals
  • 42 Health sciences
  • 32 Biomedical and clinical sciences
  • 31 Biological sciences
  • 0601 Biochemistry and Cell Biology
 

Citation

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Meng, L., Zhang, A., Jin, Y., & Yan, D. (2016). Regulation of neuronal axon specification by glia-neuron gap junctions in C. elegans. Elife, 5. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.19510
Meng, Lingfeng, Albert Zhang, Yishi Jin, and Dong Yan. “Regulation of neuronal axon specification by glia-neuron gap junctions in C. elegans.Elife 5 (October 21, 2016). https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.19510.
Meng, Lingfeng, et al. “Regulation of neuronal axon specification by glia-neuron gap junctions in C. elegans.Elife, vol. 5, Oct. 2016. Pubmed, doi:10.7554/eLife.19510.

Published In

Elife

DOI

EISSN

2050-084X

Publication Date

October 21, 2016

Volume

5

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Neurons
  • Neuroglia
  • Gap Junctions
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Caenorhabditis elegans
  • Animals
  • 42 Health sciences
  • 32 Biomedical and clinical sciences
  • 31 Biological sciences
  • 0601 Biochemistry and Cell Biology