Abstract
For nerve cells to develop their highly polarized form, appropriate structural molecules must be targeted to either axons or dendrites. This could be achieved by the synthesis of structural proteins in the cell body and their sorting to either axons or dendrites by specific transport mechanisms. For dendrites, an alternative possibility is that proteins could be synthesized locally in the dendritic cytoplasm. This is an attractive idea because it would allow regulation of the production of structural molecules in response to local demand during dendritic development. The feasibility of dendritic protein synthesis is suggested both by the existence of dendritic polyribosomes1 and by the recent demonstration that newly synthesized RNA is transported into the dendrites of neurons differentiating in culture2. However, to date there has been no demonstration of the selective synthesis of an identified dendrite-specific protein in the dendritic cytoplasm. Here, we use in situ hybridization with specific complementary DNA probes to show that messenger RNA for the dendrite-specific microtubule-associated protein MAP2 (refs 3–5) is present in dendrites in the developing brain. By contrast the mRNA for tubulin, a protein present in both axons and dendrites4,6,7 is located exclusively in neuronal cell bodies.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Steward, O. & Falk, P. M. J. Neurosci. 6, 412–423 (1986).
Davis, L., Banker, G. A. & Steward, O. Nature 330, 477–479 (1987).
Bernhardt, R. & Matus, A. J. comp. Neurol 226, 203–221 (1984).
Caceres, A. et al. J. Neurosci. 4, 394–410 (1984).
De Camilli, P., Miller, P. E., Navone, F., Theurkauf, W. E. & Vallee, R. B. Neuroscience 11, 819–846 (1984).
Bernhardt, R. & Matus, A. J. Cell Biol. 92, 589–593 (1982).
Tucker, R. P., Binder, L. I. & Matus, A. I. J. comp. Neurol 271, 44–55 (1988).
Garner, C. C. & Matus, A. J. Cell Biol. 106, 779–783 (1988).
Cleveland, D. W. et al. Cell 20, 95–105 (1980).
Cajal, S. R. Hislologie du Système Nerveux de l'Homme et des Vertébrés Vol. 2, 519–646 (Maloine, Paris, 1952).
Marin-Padilla, M. & Marin-Padilla, T. M. Anat. Embryol. 164, 161–206 (1982).
Fleischauer, K., Petsche, H. & Wittowski, W. Z. Anat. EntwGesch. 136, 213–223 (1972).
Roney, K. J., Scheibel, A. B. & Shaw, G. Brain Res. Rev. 1, 225–271 (1979).
Escobar, M. I. et al. Neuroscience 17, 975–989 (1986).
Caceres, A., Banker, G., Steward, O., Binder, L. & Payne, M. Devl Brain Res. 13, 314–318 (1984).
Matus, A., Bernhardt, R., Bodmer, R. & Alaimo, D. Neuroscience 17, 371–389 (1986).
Murphy, D. B. & Borisy, G. G. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 16, (1977).
Herzog, W. & Weber, K. Eur. J. Biochem. 92, 1–8 (1978).
Burgoyne, R. D. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 83B, 1–8 (1986).
Matus, A. A. Rev. Neurosci. 11, 29–44 (1988).
Nunez, J. Devl Neurosci. 8, 125–144 (1986).
Feinberg, A. P. & Vogelstein, B. Analyt. Biochem. 132, 6–13 (1983).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Garner, C., Tucker, R. & Matus, A. Selective localization of messenger RNA for cytoskeletal protein MAP2 in dendrites. Nature 336, 674–677 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1038/336674a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/336674a0
This article is cited by
-
Local translation in neurons: visualization and function
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology (2019)
-
TDP-43 and Cytoskeletal Proteins in ALS
Molecular Neurobiology (2018)
-
Gene Network Dysregulation in Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Neurons of Humans with Cocaine Use Disorder
Scientific Reports (2017)
-
In the right place at the right time: visualizing and understanding mRNA localization
Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology (2015)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.