| Abstract No.: | A-A1012 |
| Country: | Canada |
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| Title: | STABILIZATION EFFECT OF PROTIEN KINASE M ZETA ON DENDRITIC DEVELOPMENT IN VIVO |
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| Authors/Affiliations: | 1 Xuefeng Liu*; 1 Kurt Haas;
1 University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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| Content: | Protein Kinase M zeta( PKM zeta) is a persistently active form of protein kinase C (PKC ) zeta isoform shown to be required for maintenance of long term potentiation (LTP) and formation of long term memory. Here, we investigate whether PKM zeta activity also contributes to dendritic arbor elaboration of young neurons within the intact developing brain, growth of which is actively refined by presynaptic inputs. In our study, we utilized single-cell electroporation to transfer macromolecules (plasmid, peptide or dye) into single optic tectal neurons within the developing brains of albino Xenopus laevis tadpoles, followed by in vivo two-photon time-lapse imaging over periods of up to 5 days. Our results show that elevation of PKM zeta activity by overexpressing PKM zeta decreases dendritic arbor growth rates and stabilizes arbor structure resulting in compact arborization. Blocking endogenous PKM zeta activity by delivering a PKM inhibitor peptide into tectal neurons produces significantly faster growth rates and larger final dendritic arbor structures, possibly through retardation of neuronal maturation. Thus, PKM zeta activity restricts dendrite outgrowth by stabilizing dendrite arbor structure. Given the potentiation effect of PKM zeta in synaptic plasticity, we postulate that excitatory inputs stabilize dendritic arbor structure of developing brain neurons. |
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