Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) present a barrier to axon regeneration. However, no specific receptor for the inhibitory effect of CSPGs has been identified. We showed that a transmembrane protein tyrosine phosphatase, PTPσ, binds with high affinity to neural CSPGs. Binding involves the chondroitin sulfate chains and a specific site on the first immunoglobulin-like domain of PTPσ. In culture, PTPσ −/− neurons show reduced inhibition by CSPG. A PTPσ fusion protein probe can detect cognate ligands that are up-regulated specifically at neural lesion sites. After spinal cord injury, PTPσ gene disruption enhanced the ability of axons to penetrate regions containing CSPG. These results indicate that PTPσ can act as a receptor for CSPGs and may provide new therapeutic approaches to neural regeneration.Recovery after central nervous system (CNS) injury is minimal, leading to substantial current interest in potential strategies to overcome this challenge (1-5). Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) show dramatic up-regulation after neural injury, within the extracellular matrix of scar tissue and in the perineuronal net within more-distant targets of the severed axons (6,7). The inhibitory nature of CSPGs is reflected not only in the formation of dystrophic axonal retraction bulbs that fail to regenerate through the lesion (8), but also in the limited capacity for collateral sprouting of spared fibers (8,9). This inhibition can be relieved by chondroitinase ABC digestion of the chondroitin sulfate (CS) side chains, which can promote regeneration and sprouting and restore lost function (10)(11)(12)(13)(14). It has been known for nearly two decades that sulfated proteoglycans are major contributors to the repulsive nature of the glial scar (15); however, the precise inhibitory mechanism remains poorly understood. Because the identification of specific neuronal receptors for CSPGs has been lacking, relatively nonspecific mechanisms brought about by arrays of negatively charged sulfate (16) or the occlusion of substrate adhesion molecules (17) have been suggested.Transmembrane protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) form a large and diverse molecular family and have a structure typical of transmembrane cell-surface receptors (18,19). In previous work, we and others have found that PTPσ and other PTPs in the leukocyte antigen-related (LAR) subfamily can act as receptors for heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) (20)(21)(22), and these PTPs are involved in axon guidance and synapse formation during development (18- ‡To whom correspondence should be addressed. flanagan@hms.harvard.edu. * These authors contributed equally to this work. † Present address: Motor Neuron Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. (Fig. 1A). Using a cell-free system with recombinant fusion proteins of the PTPσ extra-cellular domain with an immunoglobulin Fc tag (PTPσ-Fc) and neurocan with an alkaline phosphatase tag (Ncn-AP), a binding interaction was indeed identified (P < 0.001) (Fig. 1B). Genuine biological ligand-re...

Heparan and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs and CSPGs, respectively) regulate numerous cell surface signaling events, with typically opposite effects on cell function. CSPGs inhibit nerve regeneration through receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase sigma (RPTPs). Here we report that RPTPs acts bimodally in sensory neuron extension, mediating CSPG inhibition and HSPG growth promotion. Crystallographic analyses of a shared HSPG-CSPG binding site reveal a conformational plasticity that can accommodate diverse glycosaminoglycans with comparable affinities. Heparan sulfate and analogs induced RPTPs ectodomain oligomerization in solution, which was inhibited by chondroitin sulfate. RPTPs and HSPGs colocalize in puncta on sensory neurons in culture, whereas CSPGs occupy the extracellular matrix. These results lead to a model where proteoglycans can exert opposing effects on neuronal extension by competing to control the oligomerization of a common receptor.

The formation and plasticity of synaptic connections rely on regulatory interactions between pre- and postsynaptic cells. We show that the Drosophila heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) Syndecan (Sdc) and Dallylike (Dlp) are synaptic proteins necessary to control distinct aspects of synaptic biology. Sdc promotes the growth of presynaptic terminals, whereas Dlp regulates active zone form and function. Both Sdc and Dlp bind at high affinity to the protein tyrosine phosphatase LAR, a conserved receptor that controls both NMJ growth and active zone morphogenesis. These data and double mutant assays showing a requirement of LAR for actions of both HSPGs lead to a model in which presynaptic LAR is under complex control, with Sdc promoting and Dlp inhibiting LAR in order to control synapse morphogenesis and function.

Duane retraction syndrome (DRS) is the most common form of congenital paralytic strabismus in humans and can result from α2-chimaerin (CHN1) missense mutations. We report a knockin α2-chimaerin mouse (Chn1 abducens neurons use bidirectional ephrin signaling via mutant α2-chimaerin to direct growth, while cervical spinal neurons use only ephrin forward signaling, and trochlear neurons do not use ephrin signaling. These findings reveal a role for ephrin bidirectional signaling upstream of mutant α2-chimaerin in DRS, which may contribute to the selective vulnerability of abducens motor neurons in this disorder.