| First Author | Arikkath J | Year | 2009 |
| Journal | J Neurosci | Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 17 | Pages | 5435-42 |
| PubMed ID | 19403811 | Mgi Jnum | J:148256 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3844157 | Doi | 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0835-09.2009 |
| Citation | Arikkath J, et al. (2009) Delta-catenin regulates spine and synapse morphogenesis and function in hippocampal neurons during development. J Neurosci 29(17):5435-42 |
| abstractText | The maintenance of spine and synapse number during development is critical for neuronal circuit formation and function. Here we show that delta-catenin, a component of the cadherin-catenin cell adhesion complex, regulates spine and synapse morphogenesis during development. Genetic ablation or acute knockdown of delta-catenin leads to increases in spine and synapse density, accompanied by a decrease in tetrodotoxin induced spine plasticity. Our results indicate that delta-catenin may mediate conversion of activity-dependent signals to morphological spine plasticity. The functional role of delta-catenin in regulating spine density does not require binding to cadherins, but does require interactions with PDZ domain-containing proteins. We propose that the perturbations in spine and synaptic structure and function observed after depletion of delta-catenin during development may contribute to functional alterations in neural circuitry, the cognitive deficits observed in mutant mice, and the mental retardation pathology of Cri-du-chat syndrome. |
