Rac-GAP alpha-chimerin regulates motor-circuit formation as a key mediator of EphrinB3/EphA4 forward signaling

Cell. 2007 Aug 24;130(4):742-53. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2007.07.022.

Abstract

The ephrin/Eph system plays a central role in neuronal circuit formation; however, its downstream effectors are poorly understood. Here we show that alpha-chimerin Rac GTPase-activating protein mediates ephrinB3/EphA4 forward signaling. We discovered a spontaneous mouse mutation, miffy (mfy), which results in a rabbit-like hopping gait, impaired corticospinal axon guidance, and abnormal spinal central pattern generators. Using positional cloning, transgene rescue, and gene targeting, we demonstrated that loss of alpha-chimerin leads to mfy phenotypes similar to those of EphA4(-/-) and ephrinB3(-/-) mice. alpha-chimerin interacts with EphA4 and, in response to ephrinB3/EphA4 signaling, inactivates Rac, which is a positive regulator of process outgrowth. Moreover, downregulation of alpha-chimerin suppresses ephrinB3-induced growth cone collapse in cultured neurons. Our findings indicate that ephrinB3/EphA4 signaling prevents growth cone extension in motor circuit formation via alpha-chimerin-induced inactivation of Rac. They also highlight the role of a Rho family GTPase-activating protein as a key mediator of ephrin/Eph signaling.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cerebral Cortex / cytology
  • Chimerin 1 / metabolism*
  • Chromosomes, Mammalian
  • Crosses, Genetic
  • Ephrin-B3 / genetics
  • Ephrin-B3 / metabolism*
  • Genes, Recessive
  • Genetic Linkage
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Inbred DBA
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Motor Activity / genetics
  • Mutation
  • N-Methylaspartate / pharmacology
  • Neurons / cytology
  • Neurons / metabolism
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • Serotonin / pharmacology
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Spinal Cord / drug effects
  • rac GTP-Binding Proteins / physiology*

Substances

  • Chimerin 1
  • Ephrin-B3
  • Serotonin
  • N-Methylaspartate
  • rac GTP-Binding Proteins

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AB264771
  • GENBANK/AB264772
  • GENBANK/AB264773
  • GENBANK/AB264774
  • GENBANK/AB264775