Cue integration and regeneration strategies Flashcards
How are responses to cues modified?
1) Receptors for cues may interact to silence each other (DCC/Robo)
2) Modification to signals depending on the combination of cues received
What does the response to a cue depend on?
Example?
Depends on the CONTEXT
Eg. if a growth cone, depends if pre-crossing or post-crossing
What are cyclic nucleotides important in?
In determining the POLARITY of a growth cone’s response to chemotropic signals (ATTRACTED OR REPELLED)
What is cAMP activated by?
What does this do?
NGF activates cAMP
NGF turns growth cones in culture
What molecule of cAMP turns GC? Why?
db-cAMP (can cross the membrane)
cAMP cannot cross the membrane
Is higher [cAMP] attractive or repulsive?
Attractive
How can the polarity of response to a cue by reversed/negated? (2 ways)
1) By manipulating the concentrations of intracellular cyclic nucleotides
2) Reversed according to the combination of receptors present
What happens when block cAMP inside the cell
What does this show?
No activation of cAMP-dependant PKA
Reversal of the response to netrin
Shows:
- cAMP acts as a SWITCH, determining the polarity of the netrin response
How does [cAMP] and [cGMP] affect the polarity of response?
Binding to attractant (eg. netrin/NGF) - increases cAMP and decreases cGMP
Binding to repellant (eg. sema) - increases cGMP and decreases cAMP
When is DCC receptor involved in attractring/repelling?
Attractant - when bound to NETRIN
Repellant - when ACCOMPANIED to co-receptor Unc5
—-> causes netrin to become REPLLANT
When is netrin a repellant?
How does this act?
When its receptor DCC is accompanied by a coreceptor Unc5
Acts through the [cAMP]:[cGMP] balance
How do MAG and Nogo act as repellants?
How is this different to other repellants?
By INHIBITING cAMP
Other repellants (eg. sema, netrin (with unc5 coreceptor), ephrin) have their effect by INCREASING cGMP
How are cyclic nucleotide levels affected?
1) By extracellular cues
2) By the combination of receptors present
3) By signals from other receptors
What ligand binding to their receptor affect cAMP levels?
How?
Receptors binding to laminin or glutamate
Lowers cAMP levels
What ligand binding to their receptor affect cGMP levels?
Receptors binding to nitric oxide
What does how the GC behave depend upon?
COMBINATION of signals from the environment
How do specific environments alter guidance responses?
By modulating cyclic nucleotides
Describe the journey of retinal ganglion cells to/after the tectum
How are the neurons directed away from the ONH once they have crossed it?
- Initially attracted by NETRIN to cells in the optic nerve head
- After reach ONH - contact with LAMININ in the optic nerve –> REVERSES the response of the neurons to netrin (serves to direct neurons AWAY from the ONH and towards the tectum)
- Lamanin receptors are members of the integrin family - SUPRESS cAMP when they signal
(Lower cAMP –> REPULSION)
How does 14-3-3 alter the response of the cell to an attractive cue? (eg. shh)
14-3-3 INHIBITS PKA (which is normally activated by cAMP)
How does cAMP signal?
Through PKA
How does cGMP signal?
Through PKG
What are 2 inhibitory molecules that are implicated in the faliure of adult mammalian CNS to regenerate after nerve injury?
How do they do this?
1) MAG
2) Nogo
They LOWER/inhibit cAMP by activating RhoA
How can spinal cord injury be treated?
Manipulating cAMP and RhoA
Where does regeneration occur/not occur?
Occurs in LOWER vertebrates and the PERIPHERAL NS but not in the CNS
What happens in the periphery during regeneration?
- Injury
- MACROPHAGES move in and clear debris
- Expression in the injured nerve of RAG (regeneration associated genes)
- Proliferating SCHWANN cells –> promote axon regeneration
Why does the CNS fail to regenerate? (3 things)
1) Failure to activate growth promoting program in the injured neuron
2) Presence of INHIBITORY factors in the CNS myelin that disrupt axon extension
3) Formation of a ‘Glial scar’ - PHYSICAL barrier to for axon growth
When do CNS neurons have the capacity to regenerate? (2 things)
1) If given the APPROPRIATE SUBSTRATE
2) If the RIGHT GENES are activated
When can retinal ganglion cells regenerate?
When they bypass the optic nerve and go down the sciatic nerve (which they don’t normally do)
When can the neurons in the DRG regenerate/not regenerate?
In the PERIPHERAL branch but NOT in the CNS branch