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The Journal of Neuroscience, September 16, 2009, 29(37):11628-11640; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2394-09.2009

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Development/Plasticity/Repair
APC2 Plays an Essential Role in Axonal Projections through the Regulation of Microtubule Stability

Takafumi Shintani,^1,2 Masaru Ihara,¹ Sachiko Tani,^1,2 Juichi Sakuraba,^1,2 Hiraki Sakuta,^1,2 and Masaharu Noda^1,2

¹Division of Molecular Neurobiology, National Institute for Basic Biology, and ²School of Life Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan

Corresponding should be addressed to Dr. Masaharu Noda, Division of Molecular Neurobiology, National Institute for Basic Biology, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan. Email: madon{at}nibb.ac.jp

Growth cones at the tip of growing axons are key cellular structures that detect guidance cues and mediate axonal growth. An increasing number of studies have suggested that the dynamic regulation of microtubules in the growth cone plays an essential role in growth cone steering. The dynamic properties of microtubules are considered to be regulated by variegated cellular factors but, in particular, through microtubule-interacting proteins. Here, we examined the functional role of adenomatous polyposis coli-like molecule 2 (APC2) in the development of axonal projections by using the chick retinotectal topographic projection system. APC2 is preferentially expressed in the nervous system from early developmental stages through to adulthood. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that APC2 is distributed along microtubules in growth cones as well as axon shafts of retinal axons. Overexpression of APC2 in cultured cells induced the stabilization of microtubules, whereas the knockdown of APC2 in chick retinas with specific short hairpin RNA reduced the stability of microtubules in retinal axons. APC2 knockdown retinal axons showed abnormal growth attributable to a reduced response to ephrin-A2 in vitro. Furthermore, they showed drastic alterations in retinotectal projections without making clear target zones in the tectum in vivo. These results suggest that APC2 plays a critical role in the development of the nervous system through the regulation of microtubule stability.

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Received May 21, 2009; revised July 23, 2009; accepted Aug. 5, 2009.

Corresponding should be addressed to Dr. Masaharu Noda, Division of Molecular Neurobiology, National Institute for Basic Biology, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan. Email: madon{at}nibb.ac.jp

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