ENGRAILED-1 transcription factor exerts a paracrine neurotrophic activity on adult spinal cord α-motoneurons
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ABSTRACT: Several homeoprotein transcription factors transfer between cells and regulate gene expression, protein translation, and chromatin organization in recipient cells. ENGRAILED-1 is one such homeoproteins expressed in spinal V1 interneurons synapsing on a-motoneurons. Neutralizing extracellular ENGRAILED-1 by expressing a secreted single-chain antibody blocks its capture by spinal motoneurons resulting in a-motoneurons loss and muscular weakness. A similar but stronger phenotype is observed in the Engrailed-1 heterozygote mouse, confirming that ENGRAILED-1 exerts a paracrine neurotrophic activity on spinal cord a-motoneurons. Intrathecal injection of ENGRAILED-1 leads to its specific internalization by spinal motoneurons and has long-lasting protective effects against neurodegeneration and weakness. Midbrain dopaminergic neurons express Engrailed-1 and, similarly to spinal cord a-motoneurons, degenerate in the heterozygote. By identifying genes expressed in spinal cord motoneurons also showing modified expression in mouse Engrailed-1 heterozygote midbrain neurons, we identified SQTSM1/p62 as an age marker in spinal cord motoneurons with increased expression during aging, in the Engrailed-1 heterozygote and upon extracellular ENGRAILED-1 neutralization. We conclude that ENGRAILED-1 is a regulator of motoneuron ageing with non-cell autonomous neurotrophic activity.
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus (mouse)
SUBMITTER:
PROVIDER: S-BSST961 | biostudies-other |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
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