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MicroRNA-mediated disruption of dendritogenesis during a critical period of development influences cognitive capacity later in life
- Lin, Quan;
- Ponnusamy, Ravikumar;
- Widagdo, Jocelyn;
- Choi, Jung A;
- Ge, Weihong;
- Probst, Christine;
- Buckley, Tyler;
- Lou, Mimi;
- Bredy, Timothy W;
- Fanselow, Michael S;
- Ye, Keqiang;
- Sun, Yi E
Published Web Location
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1706069114Abstract
The prenatal period of cortical development is important for the establishment of neural circuitry and functional connectivity of the brain; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this process remain unclear. Here we report that disruption of the actin-cytoskeletal network in the developing mouse prefrontal cortex alters dendritic morphogenesis and synapse formation, leading to enhanced formation of fear-related memory in adulthood. These effects are mediated by a brain-enriched microRNA, miR-9, through its negative regulation of diaphanous homologous protein 1 (Diap1), a key organizer of the actin cytoskeletal assembly. Our findings not only revealed important regulation of dendritogenesis and synaptogenesis during early brain development but also demonstrated a tight link between these early developmental events and cognitive functions later in life.
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