Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase facilitates microtubule-dependent membrane transport for neuronal growth cone guidance.

ABSTRACT: The activity of PI3K is necessary for polarized cell motility. To guide extending axons, environmental cues polarize the growth cone via asymmetric generation of Ca(2+) signals and subsequent intracellular mechanical events, including membrane trafficking and cytoskeletal reorganization. However, it remains unclear how PI3K is involved in such events for axon guidance. Here, we demonstrate that PI3K plays a permissive role in growth cone turning by facilitating microtubule (MT)-dependent membrane transport. Using embryonic chick dorsal root ganglion neurons in culture, attractive axon turning was induced by Ca(2+) elevations on one side of the growth cone by photolyzing caged Ca(2+) or caged inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate. We show that PI3K activity was required downstream of Ca(2+) signals

SUBMITTER: Akiyama H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3009901 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature