RGD Reference Report - Both the establishment and the maintenance of neuronal polarity require active mechanisms: critical roles of GSK-3beta and its upstream regulators. - Rat Genome Database

Send us a Message



Submit Data |  Help |  Video Tutorials |  News |  Publications |  Download |  REST API |  Citing RGD |  Contact   

Both the establishment and the maintenance of neuronal polarity require active mechanisms: critical roles of GSK-3beta and its upstream regulators.

Authors: Jiang, H  Guo, W  Liang, X  Rao, Y 
Citation: Jiang H, etal., Cell. 2005 Jan 14;120(1):123-35.
RGD ID: 10045567
Pubmed: PMID:15652487   (View Abstract at PubMed)
DOI: DOI:10.1016/j.cell.2004.12.033   (Journal Full-text)

Axon-dendrite polarity is a cardinal feature of neuronal morphology essential for information flow. Here we report a differential distribution of GSK-3beta activity in the axon versus the dendrites. A constitutively active GSK-3beta mutant inhibited axon formation, whereas multiple axons formed from a single neuron when GSK-3beta activity was reduced by pharmacological inhibitors, a peptide inhibitor, or siRNAs. An active mechanism for maintaining neuronal polarity was revealed by the conversion of preexisting dendrites into axons upon GSK-3 inhibition. Biochemical and functional data show that the Akt kinase and the PTEN phosphatase are upstream of GSK-3beta in determining neuronal polarity. Our results demonstrate that there are active mechanisms for maintaining as well as establishing neuronal polarity, indicate that GSK-3beta relays signaling from Akt and PTEN to play critical roles in neuronal polarity, and suggest that application of GSK-3beta inhibitors can be a novel approach to promote generation of new axons after neural injuries.

Gene Ontology Annotations    Click to see Annotation Detail View

Biological Process

Cellular Component
TermQualifierEvidenceWithReferenceNotesSourceOriginal Reference(s)
axon  IDA 10045567 RGD 
dendrite  IDA 10045567 RGD 

Objects Annotated

Genes (Rattus norvegicus)
Gsk3b  (glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta)


Additional Information