Open AccessSpatiotemporal regulation of GSK3β levels by miRNA-26a controls axon development in cortical neurons
Author(s) -
Cristiano Lucci,
Raquel Mesquita-Ribeiro,
Alex Rathbone,
Federico Dajas-Bailador
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.754
H-Index - 325
eISSN - 1477-9129
pISSN - 0950-1991
DOI - 10.1242/dev.180232
Subject(s) - soma , axon , biology , neuroscience , growth cone , axon guidance , axon hillock , translation (biology) , microrna , neuron , nervous system , microbiology and biotechnology , messenger rna , genetics , gene
Both the establishment of neuronal polarity and axonal growth are crucial steps in the development of the nervous system. The local translation of mRNAs in the axon provides precise regulation of protein expression, and is now known to participate in axon development, pathfinding and synaptic formation and function. We have investigated the role of miR-26a in early stage mouse primary cortical neuron development. We show that micro-RNA-26a-5p (miR-26a) is highly expressed in neuronal cultures, and regulates both neuronal polarity and axon growth. Using compartmentalised microfluidic neuronal cultures, we identified a local role for miR-26a in the axon, where the repression of local synthesis of GSK3β controls axon development and growth. Removal of this repression in the axon triggers local translation of GSK3β protein and subsequent transport to the soma, where it can impact axonal growth. These results demonstrate how the axonal miR-26a can regulate local protein translation in the axon to facilitate retrograde communication to the soma and amplify neuronal responses, in a mechanism that influences axon development.