TY - JOUR T1 - The RNA-Binding Protein Human Antigen R Controls Global Changes in Gene Expression during Schwann Cell Development JF - The Journal of Neuroscience JO - J. Neurosci. SP - 4944 LP - 4958 DO - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5868-11.2012 VL - 32 IS - 14 AU - Marta Iruarrizaga-Lejarreta AU - Marta Varela-Rey AU - Juan José Lozano AU - David Fernández-Ramos AU - Naiara Rodríguez-Ezpeleta AU - Nieves Embade AU - Shelly C. Lu AU - Peter M. van der Kraan AU - Esmeralda N. Blaney Davidson AU - Myriam Gorospe AU - Rhona Mirsky AU - Kristján R. Jessen AU - Ana María Aransay AU - José M. Mato AU - María L. Martínez-Chantar AU - Ashwin Woodhoo Y1 - 2012/04/04 UR - http://www.jneurosci.org/content/32/14/4944.abstract N2 - An important prerequisite to myelination in peripheral nerves is the establishment of one-to-one relationships between axons and Schwann cells. This patterning event depends on immature Schwann cell proliferation, apoptosis, and morphogenesis, which are governed by coordinated changes in gene expression. Here, we found that the RNA-binding protein human antigen R (HuR) was highly expressed in immature Schwann cells, where genome-wide identification of its target mRNAs in vivo in mouse sciatic nerves using ribonomics showed an enrichment of functionally related genes regulating these processes. HuR coordinately regulated expression of several genes to promote proliferation, apoptosis, and morphogenesis in rat Schwann cells, in response to NRG1, TGFβ, and laminins, three major signals implicated in this patterning event. Strikingly, HuR also binds to several mRNAs encoding myelination-related proteins but, contrary to its typical function, negatively regulated their expression, likely to prevent ectopic myelination during development. These functions of HuR correlated with its abundance and subcellular localization, which were regulated by different signals in Schwann cells. ER -