Molecular mechanisms regulating the spatial configuration of neurites

N-WASP-Arp2/3 signaling controls multiple steps of dendrite maturation in Purkinje cells in vivo

During neural development, the actin filament network must be precisely regulated to form elaborate neurite structures. N-WASP tightly controls actin polymerization dynamics by activating an actin nucleator Arp2/3. However, the importance of N-WASP-Arp2/3 signaling in the assembly of neurite architecture in vivo has not been clarified. Here, we demonstrate that N-WASP-Arp2/3 signaling plays a crucial role in the maturation of cerebellar Purkinje cell (PC) dendrites in vivo in mice. N-WASP was expressed and activated in developing PCs. Inhibition of Arp2/3 and N-WASP from the beginning of dendrite formation severely disrupted the establishment of a single stem dendrite, which is a characteristic basic structure of PC dendrites. Inhibition of Arp2/3 after stem dendrite formation resulted in hypoplasia of the PC dendritic tree. Cdc42, an upstream activator of N-WASP, is required for N-WASP-Arp2/3 signaling-mediated PC dendrite maturation. In addition, overactivation of N-WASP is also detrimental to dendrite formation in PCs. These findings reveal that proper activation of N-WASP-Arp2/3 signaling is crucial for multiple steps of PC dendrite maturation in vivo.