Crk-associated substrate (Cas) signaling protein functions with integrins to specify axon guidance during development

Zhiyu Huang, Umar Yazdani, Katherine L. Thompson-Peer, Alex L. Kolodkin, Jonathan R. Terman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

27 Scopus citations

Abstract

Members of the Cas family of Src homology 3 (SH3)-domain-containing cytosolic signaling proteins are crucial regulators of actin cytoskeletal dynamics in non-neuronal cells; however, their neuronal functions are poorly understood. Here, we identify a Drosophila Cas (DCas), find that Cas proteins are highly expressed in neurons and show that DCas is required for correct axon guidance during development. Functional analyses reveal that Cas specifies axon guidance by regulating the degree of fasciculation among axons. These guidance defects are similar to those observed in integrin mutants, and genetic analysis shows that integrins function together with Cas to facilitate axonal defasciculation. These results strongly support Cas proteins working together with integrins in vivo to direct axon guidance events.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2337-2347
Number of pages11
JournalDevelopment
Volume134
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2007

Keywords

  • Axon guidance
  • Casi
  • Drosophila
  • p130Cas

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Biology
  • Developmental Biology

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