Intracelluar Ligands of NCAM

Mutation of a putative MAP kinase consensus site regulates NCAM endocytosis and NCAM-dependent neurite outgrowth

The cytoplasmic domain of the neural cell adhesion molecule NCAM contains several putative serine/threonine phosphorylation sites whose functions are largely unknown. Human NCAM140 (NCAM140) possesses a potential MAP kinase phosphorylation site at threonine (T) 803. The aim of this study was to analyze a possible phosphorylation of NCAM140 by MAP kinases and to identify the functional role of T803. We found that NCAM140 is phosphorylated by the MAP kinase ERK2 in vitro. Exchange of T803 to aspartic acid (D) which mimics constitutive phosphorylation at the respective position resulted in increased endocytosis compared to NCAM140 in neuroblastoma cells and primary neurons. Consistently, NCAM140 endocytosis was inhibited by the MEK inhibitor U0126 in contrast to NCAM140-T803D or NCAM140-T803A endocytosis supporting a role of a potential ERK2 mediated phosphorylation at this site in endocytosis. Furthermore, cells expressing NCAM140-T803D developed significantly shorter neurites than NCAM140 expressing cells indicating that a potential phosphorylation of NCAM by ERK2 also regulates NCAM-dependent neurite outgrowth.

A systems-based approach to investigate dose- and time-dependent methylmercury-induced gene expression response in C57BL/6 mouse embryos undergoing neurulation

BACKGROUND

Aberrations during neurulation due to genetic and/or environmental factors underlie a variety of adverse developmental outcomes, including neural tube defects (NTDs). Methylmercury (MeHg) is a developmental neurotoxicant and teratogen that perturbs a wide range of biological processes/pathways in animal models, including those involved in early gestation (e.g., cell cycle, cell differentiation). Yet, the relationship between these MeHg-linked effects and changes in gestational development remains unresolved. Specifically, current information lacks mechanistic comparisons across dose or time for MeHg exposure during neurulation. These detailed investigations are crucial for identifying sensitive indicators of toxicity and for risk assessment applications.

METHODS

Using a systems-based toxicogenomic approach, we examined dose- and time-dependent effects of MeHg on gene expression in C57BL/6 mouse embryos during cranial neural tube closure, assessing for significantly altered genes and associated Gene Ontology (GO) biological processes. Using the GO-based application GO-Quant, we quantitatively assessed dose- and time-dependent effects on gene expression within enriched GO biological processes impacted by MeHg.

RESULTS

We observed MeHg to significantly alter expression of 883 genes, including several genes (e.g., Vangl2, Celsr1, Ptk7, Twist, Tcf7) previously characterized to be crucial for neural tube development. Significantly altered genes were associated with development cell adhesion, cell cycle, and cell differentiation-related GO biological processes.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that MeHg-induced impacts within these biological processes during gestational development may underlie MeHg-induced teratogenic and neurodevelopmental toxicity outcomes.