GAP-43 as a plasticity protein in neuronal form and repair

Neurons exhibit a remarkable plasticity of form, both during neural development and during the subsequent remodelling of synaptic connectivity. Here we review work on GAP-43 and G₀, and focus upon the thesis that their interaction may endow neurons with such plasticity. We also present new data on the role of G proteins in neurite growth, and on the interaction of GAP-43 and actin. GAP-43 is a protein induced during periods of axonal extension and highly enriched on the inner surface of the growth cone membrane. Its membrane localization is primarily due to a short amino terminal sequence which is subject to palmitoylation. Binding to actin filaments may also assist in restricting the protein to specific cellular domains. Consistent with its role as a ?plasticity protein,”? there is evidence that GAP-43 can directly alter cell shape and neurite extension, and several theses have been advanced for how it might do so. Two other prominent components of the growth cone membrane are the α and β subunits of G₀. GAP-43 regulates their guanine nucleotide exchange, which is an unusual role for an intracellular protein. We speculate that GAP-43 may adjust the ?set point”? of responsiveness for G₀ stimulation by receptors, thereby altering the neuronal propensity to growth, without actually causing growth. To begin to address how G protein activity affects axon growth, we have developed a means to introduce guanine nucleotide analogs into sympathetic neurons. Stimulation of G proteins with GTP-γ-S retards axon growth, whereas GDP-β-S enhances it. This is compatible with G protein registration of inhibitory signals. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Absence of persistent spreading, branching, and adhesion in GAP-43- depleted growth cones

The growth-associated protein GAP-43 is a major protein kinase C substrate of growth cones and developing nerve terminals. In the growth cone, it accumulates near the plasma membrane, where it associates with the cortical cytoskeleton and membranes. The role of GAP-43 in neurite outgrowth is not yet clear, but recent findings suggest that it may be a crucial competence factor in this process. To define the role of GAP- 43 in growth cone activity, we have analyzed neurite outgrowth and growth cone activity in primary sensory neurons depleted of GAP-43 by a specific antisense oligonucleotide procedure. Under optimal culture conditions, but in the absence of GAP-43, growth cones adhered poorly, displayed highly dynamic but unstable lamellar extensions, and were strikingly devoid of local f-actin concentrations. Upon stimulation, they failed to produce NGF-induced spreading or insulin-like growth factor-1-induced branching, whereas growth factor-induced phosphotyrosine immunoreactivity and acceleration of neurite elongation were not impaired. Unlike their GAP-43-expressing counterparts, they readily retracted when exposed to inhibitory central nervous system myelin-derived liposomes. Frequency and extent of induced retraction were attenuated by NGF. Our results indicate that GAP-43 can promote f- actin accumulation, evoked morphogenic activity, and resistance to retraction of the growth cone, suggesting that it may promote regulated neurite outgrowth during development and regeneration.     

An intracellular guanine nucleotide release protein for G0. GAP-43 stimulates isolated alpha subunits by a novel mechanism.

G protein-coupled membrane receptors activate G proteins by enhancing guanine nucleotide exchange. G0 is a major component of the growing regions (growth cones) of neurons. GAP-43 is a neuronal protein associated with the cytosolic face of the growth cone plasma membrane and stimulates binding of guanosine 5'-3-O-(thio)triphosphate (GTP gamma S) to Go (Strittmatter, S. M., Valenzuela, D., Kennedy, T. E., Neer, E. J., and Fishman, M. C. (1990) Nature 344, 836-841). Here we have examined the mechanism by which GAP-43 affects G0. Like G protein-coupled receptors, GAP-43 enhances GDP release from G0, increases the initial rate of GTP gamma S binding, and increases the GTPase activity of Go, all without altering the intrinsic kappa cat for the GTPase. Unlike the case for receptors, however, the GAP-43 effect is not blocked by pertussis toxin, nor affected by the presence or absence of beta gamma or of phospholipids. There is specificity to the interaction, in that GAP-43 increases GTP gamma S binding to recombinant alpha o and alpha i1, but not to recombinant alpha s. Thus, GAP-43 is a guanine nucleotide release protein with a novel mechanism of action, potentially controlling membrane-associated G proteins from within the cell.     

Posttranslational membrane attachment and dynamic fatty acylation of a neuronal growth cone protein, GAP-43

Growth cones, the motile apparatus at the ends of elongating axons, are sites of extensive and dynamic membrane-cytoskeletal interaction and insertion of new membrane into the growing axon. One of the most abundant proteins in growth cone membranes is a protein designated GAP-43, whose synthesis increases dramatically in most neurons during periods of axon development or regeneration. We have begun to explore the role of GAP-43 in growth cone membrane functions by asking how the protein interacts with those membranes. Membrane-washing experiments indicate that mature GAP-43 is tightly bound to growth cone membranes, and partitioning of Triton X-114-solubilized GAP-43 between detergent-enriched and detergent-depleted phases indicates considerable hydrophobicity. The hydrophobic behavior of the protein is modulated by divalent cations, particularly zinc and calcium. In vivo labeling of GAP-43 in neonatal rat brain with [35S]methionine shows that GAP-43 is initially synthesized as a soluble protein that becomes attached to membranes posttranslationally. In tissue culture, both rat cerebral cortex cells and neuron-like PC12 cells actively incorporate [3H]palmitic acid into GAP-43. Isolated growth cones detached from their cell bodies also incorporate labeled fatty acid into GAP-43, suggesting active turnover of the fatty acid moieties on the mature protein. Hydrolysis of ester-like bonds with neutral hydroxylamine removes the bound fatty acid and exposes new thiol groups on GAP-43, suggesting that fatty acid is attached to the protein's only two cysteine residues, located in a short hydrophobic domain at the amino terminus. Modulation of the protein's hydrophobic behavior by divalent cations suggests that other domains, containing large numbers of negatively charged residues, might also contribute to GAP-43-membrane interactions. Our observations suggest a dynamic and reversible interaction of GAP-43 with growth cone membranes.     

Rapid changes in the distribution of GAP-43 correlate with the expression of neuronal polarity during normal development and under experimental conditions

Hippocampal neurons growing in culture initially extend several, short minor processes that have the potential to become either axons or dendrites. The first expression of polarity occurs when one of these minor processes begins to elongate rapidly, becoming the axon. Before axonal outgrowth, the growth-associated protein GAP-43 is distributed equally among the growth cones of the minor processes; it is preferentially concentrated in the axonal growth cone once polarity has been established (Goslin, K., D. Schreyer, J. Skene, and G. Banker. 1990. J. Neurosci. 10:588-602). To determine when the selective segregation of GAP-43 begins, we followed individual cells by video microscopy, fixed them as soon as the axon could be distinguished, and localized GAP-43 by immunofluorescence microscopy. Individual minor processes acquired axonal growth characteristics within a period of 30-60 min, and GAP-43 became selectively concentrated to the growth cones of these processes with an equally rapid time course. We also examined changes in the distribution of GAP-43 after transection of the axon. After an axonal transection that is distant from the soma, neuronal polarity is maintained, and the original axon begins to regrow almost immediately. In such cases, GAP-43 became selectively concentrated in the new axonal growth cone within 12-30 min. In contrast, when the axon is transected close to the soma, polarity is lost; the original axon rarely regrows, and there is a significant delay before a new axon emerges. Under these circumstances, GAP-43 accumulated in the new growth cone much more slowly, suggesting that its ongoing selective routing to the axon had been disrupted by the transection. These results demonstrate that the selective segregation of GAP-43 to the growth cone of a single process is closely correlated with the acquisition of axonal growth characteristics and, hence, with the expression of polarity.     

GAP-43 regulates NCAM-180-mediated neurite outgrowth

The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), and the growth-associated protein (GAP-43), play pivotal roles in neuronal development and plasticity and possess interdependent functions. However, the mechanisms underlying the functional association of GAP-43 and NCAM have not been elucidated. In this study we show that (over)expression of GAP-43 in PC12E2 cells and hippocampal neurons strongly potentiates neurite extension, both in the absence and in the presence of homophilic NCAM binding. This potentiation is crucially dependent on the membrane association of GAP-43. We demonstrate that phosphorylation of GAP-43 by protein kinase C (PKC) as well as by casein kinase II (CKII) is important for the NCAM-induced neurite outgrowth. Moreover, our results indicate that in the presence of GAP-43, NCAM-induced neurite outgrowth requires functional association of NCAM-180/spectrin/GAP-43, whereas in the absence of GAP-43, the NCAM-140/non-receptor tyrosine kinase (Fyn)-associated signaling pathway is pivotal. Thus, expression of GAP-43 presumably acts as a functional switch for NCAM-180-induced signaling. This suggests that under physiological conditions, spatial and/or temporal changes of the localization of GAP-43 and NCAM on the cell membrane may determine the predominant signaling mechanism triggered by homophilic NCAM binding: NCAM-180/spectrin-mediated modulation of the actin cytoskeleton, NCAM-140-mediated activation of Fyn, or both.     

Growth cone‐like waves transport actin and promote axonogenesis and neurite branching

Axonogenesis involves a shift from uniform delivery of materials to all neurites to preferential delivery to the putative axon, supporting its more rapid extension. Waves, growth cone‐like structures that propagate down the length of neurites, were shown previously to correlate with neurite growth in dissociated cultured hippocampal neurons. Waves are similar to growth cones in their structure, composition and dynamics. Here, we report that waves form in all undifferentiated neurites, but occur more frequently in the future axon during initial neuronal polarization. Moreover, wave frequency and their impact on neurite growth are altered in neurons treated with stimuli that enhance axonogenesis. Coincident with wave arrival, growth cones enlarge and undergo a marked increase in dynamics. Through their engorgement of filopodia along the neurite shaft, waves can induce de novo neurite branching. Actin in waves maintains much of its cohesiveness during transport whereas actin in nonwave regions of the neurite rapidly diffuses as measured by live cell imaging of photoactivated GFP‐actin and photoconversion of Dendra‐actin. Thus, waves represent an alternative axonal transport mechanism for actin. Waves also occur in neurons in organotypic hippocampal slices where they propagate along neurites in the dentate gyrus and the CA regions and induce branching. Taken together, our results indicate that waves are physiologically relevant and contribute to axon growth and branching via the transport of actin and by increasing growth cone dynamics. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 2009     

GAP-43 mRNA in growth cones is associated with HuD and ribosomes

The neuron-specific ELAV/Hu family member, HuD, interacts with and stabilizes GAP-43 mRNA in developing neurons, and leads to increased levels of GAP-43 protein. As GAP-43 protein is enriched in growth cones, it is of interest to determine if HuD and GAP-43 mRNA are associated in developing growth cones. HuD granules in growth cones are found in the central domain that is rich in microtubules and ribosomes, in the peripheral domain with its actin network, and in filopodia. This distribution of HuD granules in growth cones is dependent on actin filaments but not on microtubules. GAP-43 mRNA is localized in granules found in both the central and peripheral domains, but not in filopodia. Ribosomes were extensively colocalized with HuD and GAP-43 mRNA granules in the central domain, consistent with a role in the control of GAP-43 mRNA stability in the growth cone. Together, these results demonstrate that many of the components necessary for GAP-43 mRNA translation/stabilization are present within growth cones.     

Monoclonal antibodies show that kinase C phosphorylation of GAP-43 during axonogenesis is both spatially and temporally restricted in vivo.

To study the role of kinase C phosphorylation in the distribution and function of GAP-43 we have generated a panel of mAbs that distinguish between GAP-43 that has been phosphorylated by kinase C and forms that have not. One class of antibodies, typified by 2G12/C7, reacts with only the phosphorylated form of GAP-43; it recognizes the peptide IQAS(PO4)FR equivalent to residues 38-43 that includes the single kinase C phosphorylation site at serine. Another, exemplified by 10E8/E7, reacts with both phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated forms. We have used the antibodies to study the distribution of kinase C-phosphorylated GAP-43 during axonogenesis and in the adult nervous system. Two major findings emerge. First, there is a lag between the initiation of axon outgrowth and the phosphorylation of GAP-43 by kinase C. The extent of this lag period varies between the different structures studied. In some cases, e.g., the trigeminal nerve, our result suggest that kinase C phosphorylation may be correlated with proximity of the growing axon to its target. Second, kinase C-phosphorylated GAP-43 is always spatially restricted to the distal axon. It is never seen either proximally or in cell bodies, even those with high levels of GAP-43 protein. This result also implies that GAP-43 is axonally transported in the non-kinase C phosphorylated form. Thus, kinase C phosphorylation of GAP-43 is not required for axon outgrowth or growth cone function per se and may be more related to interactions of the growth cone with its environment.     

Neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells deficient in GAP-43.

The neuronal cell line PC12 undergoes a well-documented morphological and biochemical differentiation when treated with NGF and other growth factors. A hallmark of this growth factor-mediated differentiation is the induction of the growth-associated protein, GAP-43. Here we show that a PC12 cell line which is capable of NGF-, bFGF-, and cAMP-mediated neurite outgrowth is deficient in GAP-43 protein and full-length mRNA, as measured by immunocytochemistry, Western blot, Northern blot, and PCR analyses, respectively. We propose that the GAP-43 protein may not be essential for the initial extension and maintenance of neurites induced by these neuritogenic factors; rather, its role may lie predominantly in growth cone function and in the operation of the presynaptic terminal.     

Molecular analysis of the function of the neuronal growth-associated protein GAP-43 by genetic intervention

GAP-43 is a presynaptic membrane phosphoprotein that has been implicated in both the development and the modulation of neural connections. The availability of cDNA clones for GAP-43 makes it possible to examine with greater precision its role in neuronal outgrowth and physiology. We used Northern blots and in situ hybridization with GAP-43 antisense RNA probes to show that GAP-43 is expressed selectively in associative regions of the adult brain. Immunocytochemical analyses showed alterations in the pattern of GAP-43 expression in the hippocampus during reactive synaptogenesis following lesions of the perforant pathway. Genetic intervention methodology was used to analyze the molecular nature of GAP-43 involvement in synaptic plasticity. GAP-43-transfected PC12 cells displayed an enhanced response to nerve growth factor, suggesting that GAP-43 may be directly involved in neurite extension and in the modulation of the neuronal response to extrinsic trophic factors. Studies of PC12 cell transfectants, in which the synthesis of GAP-43 was blocked by expression of GAP-43 antisense RNA, showed that evoked dopamine release was significantly attenuated in these cells. The use of gene transfer into neurons with the HSV-1 vector is presented as a method of analyzing the interaction of GAP-43 with signal transduction systems during neurotransmitter release.     

Axon targeting of the alpha 7 nicotinic receptor in developing hippocampal neurons by Gprin1 regulates growth

Cholinergic signaling plays an important role in regulating the growth and regeneration of axons in the nervous system. The α7 nicotinic receptor (α7) can drive synaptic development and plasticity in the hippocampus. Here, we show that activation of α7 significantly reduces axon growth in hippocampal neurons by coupling to G protein‐regulated inducer of neurite outgrowth 1 (Gprin1), which targets it to the growth cone. Knockdown of Gprin1 expression using RNAi is found sufficient to abolish the localization and calcium signaling of α7 at the growth cone. In addition, an α7/Gprin1 interaction appears intimately linked to a Gαo, growth‐associated protein 43, and CDC42 cytoskeletal regulatory pathway within the developing axon. These findings demonstrate that α7 regulates axon growth in hippocampal neurons, thereby likely contributing to synaptic formation in the developing brain.

     

GAP-43 phosphorylation is dynamically regulated in individual growth cones

In vivo, kinase C phosphorylation of the growth-associated protein GAP-43 is spatially and temproally associated with the proximity of growing axons to their targets. Here we have used dissociated dorsal root ganglia (DRG)s and an antibody specific for the phosphorylated form of GAP-43 to demonstrate that neurite regeneration in culture also begins in the absence of detectable levels of phosphorylated GAP-43. Since the β isoform of kinase C was found to be enriched in growth cones before stably phosphorylated GAP-43 was detected, it may normally be inactive during initial neurite outgrowth; however, premature phosphorylation of GAP-43 could be stimulated in newly dissociated DRGs by plating them on cultures in which phosphorylation had already been initiated; media conditioned by such cultures caused no response suggesting an effect of either cell-cell or cell-substrate contact. Increased GAP-43 phosphorylation correlated with a reduced extent of neurite outgrowth but not with the rate at which individual growth cones translocated so that motile growth cones contained very low levels of phosphorylated GAP-43, whereas stationary growth cones showed much more immunoreactivity. Downregulation of kinase C by phorbol ester prevented increased GAP-43 phosphorylation and led to growth cone collapse. Finally, phosphorylated GAP-43 was found to be differently distributed within growth cones. Increased immunoreactivity was frequently observed in the neck of the growth cone and was heterogeneously distributed in lamellae and filopodia. These results, which demonstrate the dynamic regulation of GAP-43 phosphorylation in individual growth cones, are discussed with reference to the association between changes in growth cone shape and the ability to translocate and change direction. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Eph-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of ephexin1 modulates growth cone collapse

Ephs regulate growth cone repulsion, a process controlled by the actin cytoskeleton. The guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) ephexin1 interacts with EphA4 and has been suggested to mediate the effect of EphA on the activity of Rho GTPases, key regulators of the cytoskeleton and axon guidance. Using cultured ephexin1-/- mouse neurons and RNA interference in the chick, we report that ephexin1 is required for normal axon outgrowth and ephrin-dependent axon repulsion. Ephexin1 becomes tyrosine phosphorylated in response to EphA signaling in neurons, and this phosphorylation event is required for growth cone collapse. Tyrosine phosphorylation of ephexin1 enhances ephexin1's GEF activity toward RhoA while not altering its activity toward Rac1 or Cdc42, thus changing the balance of GTPase activities. These findings reveal that ephexin1 plays a role in axon guidance and is regulated by a switch mechanism that is specifically tailored to control Eph-mediated growth cone collapse.     

Nerve growth cone motility

Although many issues remain unresolved, the past year has witnessed a number of advances in our understanding of the inter-relationships between extracellular influences, cell phenotype, growth associated proteins, second messengers, and cytoskeletal components in the control of neurite outgrowth and growth cone behavior. Some of the early events associated with process initiation have been tentatively identified, and more is known about the assembly and stabilization of the microtubular framework of growing neurites. The mechanical forces involved in neurite extension have begun to be quantified, and interactions between the actin and microtubule systems are being further characterized. The current data more strongly support a functional role for GAP-43 in control of motility. The data also tend to support a central role for cytoplasmic calcium in mediating the actions of many growth-regulating influences, and strongly implicate changes in actin filament stability as mediating the behavioral effects of calcium.     

GAP-43 mediates retinal axon interaction with lateral diencephalon cells during optic tract formation

GAP-43 is an abundant intracellular growth cone protein that can serve as a PKC substrate and regulate calmodulin availability. In mice with targeted disruption of the GAP-43 gene, retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons fail to progress normally from the optic chiasm into the optic tracts. The underlying cause is unknown but, in principle, can result from either the disruption of guidance mechanisms that mediate axon exit from the midline chiasm region or defects in growth cone signaling required for entry into the lateral diencephalic wall to form the optic tracts. Results here show that, compared to wild-type RGC axons, GAP-43-deficient axons exhibit reduced growth in the presence of lateral diencephalon cell membranes. Reduced growth is not observed when GAP-43-deficient axons are cultured with optic chiasm, cortical, or dorsal midbrain cells. Lateral diencephalon cell conditioned medium inhibits growth of both wild-type and GAP-43-deficient axons to a similar extent and does not affect GAP-43-deficient axons more so. Removal or transplant replacement of the lateral diencephalon optic tract entry zone in GAP-43-deficient embryo preparations results in robust RGC axon exit from the chiasm. Together these data show that RGC axon exit from the midline region does not require GAP-43 function. Instead, GAP-43 appears to mediate RGC axon interaction with guidance cues in the lateral diencephalic wall, suggesting possible involvement of PKC and calmodulin signaling during optic tract formation.     

Distribution of phosphorylated GAP-43 (neuromodulin) in growth cones directly reflects growth cone behavior

Phosphorylation of GAP-43 (neuromodulin) by protein kinase C (PKC) occurs at a single site, serine⁴¹. In vivo, phosphorylation is induced after initiation of axonogenesis and is confined to distal axons and growth cones. Within individual growth cones, phosphorylation is nonuniformly distributed. Here, we have used high-resolution video-enhanced microscopy of cultured dorsal root ganglia neurons together with immunocytochemistry with a monoclonal antibody that recognizes PKC-phosphorylated GAP-43 to correlate the distribution of phosphorylated GAP-43 with growth cone behavior. In “quiescent,” nontranslocating growth cones, phosphorylated GAP-43 was confined to the proximal neurite and the central organelle-rich region, and was low in organelle-poor lamellae. However, levels in lamellae were elevated when they became motile. Conversely, levels of phosphorylated GAP-43 were low in either lamellae that were actively retracting or in the central organelle-rich region and proximal neurite of growth cones that had totally collapsed. The results suggest a mechanism whereby phosphorylation of GAP-43 by PKC, potentially in response to extracellular signals, could direct the functional behavior of the growth cone. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Neurobiol 35: 287–299, 1998     

M-calpain-mediated cleavage of GAP-43 near Ser41 is negatively regulated by protein kinase C, calmodulin and calpain-inhibiting fragment GAP-43-3

Neuronal protein GAP-43 performs multiple functions in axon guidance, synaptic plasticity and regulation of neuronal death and survival. However, the molecular mechanisms of its action in these processes are poorly understood. We have shown that in axon terminals GAP-43 is a substrate for calcium-activated cysteine protease m-calpain, which participates in repulsion of axonal growth cones and induction of neuronal death. In pre-synaptic terminals in vivo, in synaptosomes, and in vitro, m-calpain cleaved GAP-43 in a small region near Ser41, on either side of this residue. In contrast, micro-calpain cleaved GAP-43 in vitro at several other sites, besides Ser41. Phosphorylation of Ser41 by protein kinase C or GAP-43 binding to calmodulin strongly suppressed GAP-43 proteolysis by m-calpain. A GAP-43 fragment, lacking about forty N-terminal residues (named GAP-43-3), was produced by m-calpain-mediated cleavage of GAP-43 and inhibited m-calpain, but not micro-calpain. This fragment prevented complete cleavage of intact GAP-43 by m-calpain as a negative feedback. GAP-43-3 also blocked m-calpain activity against casein, a model calpain substrate. This implies that GAP-43-3, which is present in axon terminals in high amount, can play important role in regulation of m-calpain activity in neurons. We suggest that GAP-43-3 and another (N-terminal) GAP-43 fragment produced by m-calpain participate in modulation of neuronal response to repulsive and apoptotic signals.