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Cell and Developmental Biology

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Axons

Publication Year

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Post-Translational Modification Regulates Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein K Function During Axon Outgrowth In Xenopus Laevis, Erica J. Hutchins Jan 2013

Post-Translational Modification Regulates Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein K Function During Axon Outgrowth In Xenopus Laevis, Erica J. Hutchins

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The RNA-binding protein, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNP K), is required for axon outgrowth. Its suppression in Xenopus embryos causes defects in the translation of mRNAs of multiple cytoskeletal genes. Studies in cell lines have established that hnRNP K shuttles between the nucleus and the cytoplasm to bind and regulate the fates of its target RNAs, from splicing to export and translation. At each step, hnRNP K is regulated through post-translational modifications that alter its nucleic acid and protein interactions, and subcellular localization. Precisely how this happens in developing neurons to coordinate cytoskeletal gene expression with the extracellular signals directing …


The Role Of An Rna Binding Protein Hnrnp K During Axon Development And Regeneration In Xenopus Laevis, Yuanyuan Liu Jan 2012

The Role Of An Rna Binding Protein Hnrnp K During Axon Development And Regeneration In Xenopus Laevis, Yuanyuan Liu

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Coordinated synthesis and assembly of the cytoskeletal network contribute significantly to morphological changes during axon outgrowth. Previous studies demonstrated that heterogeneous ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNP K), an RNA binding protein, binds to the 3'-untranslated regions of all neurofilament triplet subunits, the most abundant components of the axonal cytoskeleton. These findings raised the hypothesis that hnRNP K post-transcriptionally mediates the coordinated expression of axonal cytoskeletal components. In my thesis, I test this hypothesis during both axonal development and regeneration.