LIM kinase1 controls synaptic stability downstream of the type II BMP receptor

Benjamin A. Eaton, Graeme W. Davis

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

145 Scopus citations

Abstract

Here, we demonstrate that the BMP receptor Wishful Thinking (Wit) is required for synapse stabilization. In the absence of BMP signaling, synapse disassembly and retraction ensue. Remarkably, downstream Smad-mediated signaling cannot fully account for the stabilizing activity of the BMP receptor. We identify LIM Kinase1 (DLIMK1)-dependent signaling as a second, parallel pathway that confers the added synapse-stabilizing activity of the BMP receptor. We show that DLIMK1 binds a region of the Wit receptor that is necessary for synaptic stability but is dispensable for Smad-mediated synaptic growth. A genetic analysis demonstrates that DLIMK1 is necessary, presynaptically, for synapse stabilization, but is not necessary for normal synaptic growth or function. Furthermore, presynaptic expression of DLIMK1 in a wit or mad mutant significantly rescues synaptic stability, growth, and function. DLIMK1 localizes near synaptic microtubules and functions independently of ADF/cofilin, highlighting a novel requirement for DLIMK1 during synapse stabilization rather than actin-dependent axon outgrowth.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)695-708
Number of pages14
JournalNeuron
Volume47
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 1 2005
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience

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