Medical College of Wisconsin
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Specific inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 activity induces motor neuron development in vivo. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2009 Aug 14;386(1):263-7

Date

06/16/2009

Pubmed ID

19523926

Pubmed Central ID

PMC2758157

DOI

10.1016/j.bbrc.2009.06.038

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-67649210729 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   11 Citations

Abstract

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (cdk5) is a ubiquitous protein activated by specific activators, p35 and p39. Cdk5 regulates neuronal migration, differentiation, axonogenesis, synaptic transmission and apoptosis. However, its role in motor neuron development remains unexplored. Here, using gain and loss-of-function analyses in developing zebrafish embryos, we report that cdk5 plays a critical role in spinal and cranial motor neuron development. Cdk5 knockdown results in supernumerary spinal and cranial motor neurons. While a dominant negative, kinase-dead cdk5 promotes the generation of supernumerary motor neurons; over-expression of cdk5 suppresses motor neuron development. Thus, modulating cdk5 activity seems promising in inducing motor neuron development in vivo.

Author List

Kanungo J, Zheng YL, Amin ND, Kaur S, Ramchandran R, Pant HC

Author

Ramani Ramchandran PhD Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin




MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Animals
Brain
Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5
Embryo, Nonmammalian
Gene Knockdown Techniques
Motor Neurons
Neurogenesis
Oligonucleotides, Antisense
Spinal Cord
Zebrafish