Bdnf overexpression in hippocampal neurons prevents dendritic atrophy caused by Rett-associated MECP2 mutations.

ABSTRACT: The expression of the methylated DNA-binding protein MeCP2 increases during neuronal development, which suggests that this epigenetic factor is crucial for neuronal terminal differentiation. We evaluated dendritic and axonal development in embryonic day-18 hippocampal neurons in culture by measuring total length and counting branch point numbers at 4 days in vitro, well before synapse formation. Pyramidal neurons transfected with a plasmid encoding a small hairpin RNA (shRNA) to knockdown endogenous Mecp2 had shorter dendrites than control untransfected neurons, without detectable changes in axonal morphology. On the other hand, overexpression of wildtype (wt) human MECP2 increased dendritic branching, in addition to axonal branching and length. Consistent with reduced neuronal growth and

SUBMITTER: Larimore JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2726722 | biostudies-literature | 2009 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature