SMN regulates axonal local translation via miR-183/mTOR pathway.

Reduced expression of SMN protein causes spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a neurodegenerative disorder leading to motor neuron dysfunction and loss. However, the molecular mechanisms by which SMN regulates neuronal dysfunction are not fully understood. Here, we report that reduced SMN protein level alters miRNA expression and distribution in neurons. In particular, miR-183 levels are increased in neurites of SMN-deficient neurons. We demonstrate that miR-183 regulates translation of mTor via direct binding to its 3' UTR. Interestingly, local axonal translation of mTor is reduced in SMN-deficient neurons, and this can be recovered by miR-183 inhibition. Finally, inhibition of miR-183 expression in the spinal cord of an SMA mouse model prolongs survival and improves motor function of Smn-mutant mice. Together, these observations suggest that axonal miRNAs and the mTOR pathway are previously unidentified molecular mechanisms contributing to SMA pathology.

Long-term inactivation particle for voltage-gated sodium channels.

Action potential generation is governed by the opening, inactivation, and recovery of voltage-gated sodium channels. A channel's voltage-sensing and pore-forming α subunit bears an intrinsic fast inactivation particle that mediates both onset of inactivation upon membrane depolarization and rapid recovery upon repolarization. We describe here a novel inactivation particle housed within an accessory channel subunit (A-type FHF protein) that mediates rapid-onset, long-term inactivation of several sodium channels. The channel-intrinsic and tethered FHF-derived particles, both situated at the cytoplasmic face of the plasma membrane, compete for induction of inactivation, causing channels to progressively accumulate into the long-term refractory state during multiple cycles of membrane depolarization. Intracellular injection of a short peptide corresponding to the FHF particle can reproduce channel long-term inactivation in a dose-dependent manner and can inhibit repetitive firing of cerebellar granule neurons. We discuss potential structural mechanisms of long-term inactivation and potential roles of A-type FHFs in the modulation of action potential generation and conduction.

FHF-independent conduction of action potentials along the leak-resistant cerebellar granule cell axon.

Neurons in vertebrate central nervous systems initiate and conduct sodium action potentials in distinct subcellular compartments that differ architecturally and electrically. Here, we report several unanticipated passive and active properties of the cerebellar granule cell's unmyelinated axon. Whereas spike initiation at the axon initial segment relies on sodium channel (Nav)-associated fibroblast growth factor homologous factor (FHF) proteins to delay Nav inactivation, distal axonal Navs show little FHF association or FHF requirement for high-frequency transmission, velocity and waveforms of conducting action potentials. In addition, leak conductance density along the distal axon is estimated as <1% that of somatodendritic membrane. The faster inactivation rate of FHF-free Navs together with very low axonal leak conductance serves to minimize ionic fluxes and energetic demand during repetitive spike conduction and at rest. The absence of FHFs from Navs at nodes of Ranvier in the central nervous system suggests a similar mechanism of current flux minimization along myelinated axons.

Crystal structure of a fibroblast growth factor homologous factor (FHF) defines a conserved surface on FHFs for binding and modulation of voltage-gated sodium channels.

Voltage-gated sodium channels (Nav) produce sodium currents that underlie the initiation and propagation of action potentials in nerve and muscle cells. Fibroblast growth factor homologous factors (FHFs) bind to the intracellular C-terminal region of the Nav alpha subunit to modulate fast inactivation of the channel. In this study we solved the crystal structure of a 149-residue-long fragment of human FHF2A which unveils the structural features of the homology core domain of all 10 human FHF isoforms. Through analysis of crystal packing contacts and site-directed mutagenesis experiments we identified a conserved surface on the FHF core domain that mediates channel binding in vitro and in vivo. Mutations at this channel binding surface impaired the ability of FHFs to co-localize with Navs at the axon initial segment of hippocampal neurons. The mutations also disabled FHF modulation of voltage-dependent fast inactivation of sodium channels in neuronal cells. Based on our data, we propose that FHFs constitute auxiliary subunits for Navs.

Concentration of prion protein from biological samples to increase the limits of detection by immunoassay.

An RNA-ligand-based adsorbent has been shown to concentrate prion protein (PrP) from solutions in a model system. The work presented here extends the utility of the RNA-based adsorbent to brain homogenates of cow, sheep, mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and elk (Cervus elaphus). Brain homogenates were diluted either in buffer, representing specimens used in post-mortem tests, or in serum, modelling specimens used in biological-fluid-based tests. The RNA adsorbent was effective in binding PrPC (cellular PrP,) and PrPres (proteinase K-resistant PrP) from the brain homogenates of all the species tested in both model systems. The three antibodies against PrP used in the experiments identified PrP in immunoblot analysis after concentrating PrP from brain homogenates with the adsorbent, indicating the general applicability of this technology for improving the detection of PrP in immunoassays. Utilization of RNA adsorbent increased the level of detection of PrPres by immunoblot over several-hundredfold. The results obtained suggest that this RNA adsorbent can be used to increase detection in current post-mortem immunoassays and for the development of a blood-based ante-mortem test.