Cue-Polarized Transport of β-actin mRNA Depends on 3'UTR and Microtubules in Live Growth Cones.
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Authors
Leung, Kin-Mei
Lu, Bo
Wong, Hovy Ho-Wai
Lin, Julie Qiaojin
Holt, Christine E
Publication Date
2018Journal Title
Front Cell Neurosci
ISSN
1662-5102
Publisher
Frontiers Media SA
Volume
12
Pages
300
Language
eng
Type
Article
Physical Medium
Electronic-eCollection
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Leung, K., Lu, B., Wong, H. H., Lin, J. Q., Turner-Bridger, B., & Holt, C. E. (2018). Cue-Polarized Transport of β-actin mRNA Depends on 3'UTR and Microtubules in Live Growth Cones.. Front Cell Neurosci, 12 300. https://doi.org/10.3389/fncel.2018.00300
Abstract
Guidance cues trigger fast responses in axonal growth cones such as directional turning and collapse that require local protein synthesis. An attractive cue-gradient, such as Netrin-1, triggers de novo synthesis of β-actin localized to the near-side compartment of the growth cone that promotes F-actin assembly and attractive steering. How this precise spatial asymmetry in mRNA translation arises across the small expanse of the growth cone is poorly understood. Pre-localized mRNAs in the vicinity of activated receptors could be selectively translated and/or new mRNAs could be trafficked into the area. Here we have performed live imaging of fluorescent-tagged β-actin mRNA to investigate mRNA trafficking dynamics in Xenopus retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons and growth cones in response to Netrin-1. A Netrin-1 gradient was found to elicit the transport of β-actin mRNA granules to the near-side of growth cones within a 4-7 min window. This polarized mRNA trafficking depended on the 3' untranslated region (UTR) since mRNA-Δ3'UTR mutant failed to exhibit cue-induced localization. Global application of Netrin-1 significantly increased the anterograde movement of β-actin mRNA along axons and also promoted microtubule-dependent mRNA excursions from the central domain of the growth cone into the periphery (filopodia and lamellipodia). Dual channel imaging revealed β-actin mRNA riding behind the microtubule plus-end tracking protein, EB1, in movements along dynamic microtubules into filopodia. The mRNA-EB1 movements were unchanged by a Netrin-1 gradient indicating the dynamic microtubules themselves do not underlie the cue-induced polarity of RNA movement. Finally, fast-moving elongated "worm-like" trains of Cy3-RNA, distinct from mitochondria, were seen transporting RNA along axons in vitro and in vivo suggesting the existence of a novel transport organelle. Overall, the results provide evidence that the axonal trafficking of β-actin mRNA can be regulated by the guidance cue Netrin-1 to transduce the polarity of an extracellular stimulus and that the 3'UTR is essential for this cue-induced regulation.
Sponsorship
Wellcome Trust (085314/Z/08/Z)
European Research Council (322817)
Identifiers
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fncel.2018.00300
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/285392
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