2024.12.04
Translation Control Mechanisms Determining the Fate of Neuronal Axon Branches
Functional Genomics and Medicine ・ Assistant Professor ・ Toshiaki Shigeoka
Neuronal circuits are formed as axons extend and branch, creating synaptic connections with other neurons. Only branches and synapses forming correct circuits are preserved, while unnecessary ones retract and degenerate. However, how individual axon branches are selectively regulated remains unclear. Axon degeneration is also implicated in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, as well as nerve injuries, but its link to developmental axon retraction is unknown. Since localized branch degeneration cannot be explained by transcriptional control, we focus on mRNA localization and translational regulation to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the branch-specific axon degeneration.
During neural circuit formation, neuronal axons extend, branch, and selectively maintain necessary branches while retracting unnecessary ones. This branch-specific process is regulated by post-transcriptional mechanisms, such as translational control.
Toshiaki Shigeoka NAIST Edge BIO, e0028. (2024).