[Abstract Title]. - Society for Neuroscience

Time: Sunday, November 16, 2008, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Program#/Poster#: 230.3/A29
Topic: A.02.c. Cell migration
Support: Global COE MEXT Japan
Title: Analysis of coactosin, an actin binding protein, in neural crest cell migration
Authors: X. HOU, T. KATAHIRA, *H. NAKAMURA;
Dept Molec Neurobiol, Tohoku Univ., Sendai 980-8575, Japan
Abstract: Coactosin is a 17kDa actin binding protein that belongs to the ADF/cofilin homology
family of actin-binding protein. Coactosin inhibits barbed-end capping of actin filament and to
act as actin polymerization. Whole-mount in situ hybridization shows that Coactosin is
expressed in cephalic and trunk neural crest cells. The neural crest cells travel long distance to
form a wide range of derivatives. They have high motility, and respond to environments cues
that guide them along specific routes to their final destination. This process requires dynamic and
highly coordinated regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. So we are analyzing the roles of
Coactosin in related to neural crest cells. Immunocytochemistry with anti-Coactosin antibody
shows that Coactosin is localized in cytoplasm and associated with actin stress fibers in neural
crest cells. We designed shRNA expression construct to interfere with coactosin, and performed
in ovo electroporation. To our expectation, knockdown with Coactosin-siRNA resulted in
impairment of neural crest cell migration in vivo and in vitro, and shrinkages of neural crest cells
due to disruption of actin stress fibers. Our data suggest that in vertebrate development,
regulation of Coactosin is critical for neural crest cell migration and cell shape maintenance.
Disclosures: X. Hou, None; T. Katahira, None; H. Nakamura , None.
Poster
230. Cell Migration: Molecules Mediating Migration
Time: Sunday, November 16, 2008, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Program#/Poster#: 230.4/A30
Topic: A.02.c. Cell migration
Support: BMBF 01GS0498
Schilling Foundation