HuC encodes an RNA binding protein homologous to Drosophila elav that serves as an excellent early marker for differentiating neurons. We have characterized the promoter of the zebrafish HuC gene by examining the ability of 5'-upstream fragments to drive expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) in live embryos. We determined that 2.8 kb of the 5'-flanking sequence is sufficient to restrict GFP gene expression to neurons. The core promoter spans 251 base pairs and contains a CCAAT box and one SP1 sequence but no TATA box is present near the transcription start site. A putative MyT1 binding site and at least 17 E-box sequences are necessary to maintain the neuronal specificity of HuC expression. Interestingly, sequential removal of the putative MyT1 binding site and 14 distal E boxes does not appear to abolish neuronal expression; rather, it leads to a progressive expansion of GFP expression into muscle cells. Further removal of the three proximal E boxes eliminates neuronal and muscle specificity of GFP expression and leads to ubiquitous expression of GFP in the whole body. Identification of key components of the HuC promoter has led to the establishment of a stable zebrafish transgenic line (HuC-GFP) in which GFP is expressed specifically in neurons. We crossed mind bomb (mib) fish with this line to visualize their neurogenic phenotype in live mib(-/-) mutant embryos. This cross illustrates how HuC-GFP fish could be used in the future to identify and analyze zebrafish mutants with an aberrant pattern of early neurons.

Neural activity results in long term changes that underlie synaptic plasticity. To examine the molecular basis of activity-dependent plasticity, we have used differential cloning techniques to identify genes that are rapidly induced in brain neurons by synaptic activity. Here, we identify a novel cadherin molecule Arcadlin (activity-regulated cadherin-like protein). arcadlin mRNA is rapidly and transiently induced in hippocampal granule cells by seizures and by N-methyl-D-aspartatedependent synaptic activity in long term potentiation. The extracellular domain of Arcadlin is most homologous to protocadherin-8; however, the cytoplasmic region is distinct from that of any cadherin family member. Arcadlin protein is expressed at the synapses and shows a homophilic binding activity in a Ca 2؉ -dependent manner. Furthermore, application of Arcadlin antibody reduces excitatory postsynaptic potential amplitude and blocks long term potentiation in hippocampal slices. Its close homology with cadherins, its rapid inducibility by neural activity, and its involvement in synaptic transmission suggest that Arcadlin may play an important role in activity-induced synaptic reorganization underlying long term memory.Glutamate receptor stimulation leads to a rapid Ca 2ϩ influx into neurons with associated protein phosphorylation events that underlie short term memory. In contrast, long term memory can be distinguished from short term memory in that it requires new mRNA and protein synthesis (1). To analyze components of the gene expression program underlying long term memory in the vertebrate brain, we and others have employed differential cloning techniques to identify mRNAs that are rapidly induced by excitatory activity. In addition to transcription factors, this approach has identified a number of immediate early genes that encode enzymes that may directly modify cellular function, including tissue-plasminogen activator, cyclooxygenase-2, a novel small molecular weight G-protein, and a cytoskeleton-associated protein (2-6). These proteins presumably interact with neuronal proteins and indirectly affect long term changes in connections and the efficacy thereof.LTP 1 provides a widely adopted mammalian model for activitydependent changes in synaptic efficacy. The mechanisms contributing to long term changes in synaptic transmission are still contentious. Among many possibilities, one of the hypotheses that has been proposed is that neural activity could lead to modifications in synaptic structure and eventually changes in synaptic connectivity. In support of this idea, numerous morphological studies have provided evidence that neural activity such as kindling or electrical stimulation induces modifications in dendritic arborization, spine densities, or synaptic morphology (7-10).Adhesion molecules are known to be involved in many aspects of cell-cell interactions, including cell migration, axonal growth, pathfinding, sprouting, and regeneration (11, 12). Recent reports have demonstrated that some adhesion molecules are expressed ...

Neural activity induces the remodeling of pre- and postsynaptic membranes, which maintain their apposition through cell adhesion molecules. Among them, N-cadherin is redistributed, undergoes activity-dependent conformational changes, and is required for synaptic plasticity. Here, we show that depolarization induces the enlargement of the width of spine head, and that cadherin activity is essential for this synaptic rearrangement. Dendritic spines visualized with green fluorescent protein in hippocampal neurons showed an expansion by the activation of AMPA receptor, so that the synaptic apposition zone may be expanded. N-cadherin-venus fusion protein laterally dispersed along the expanding spine head. Overexpression of dominant-negative forms of N-cadherin resulted in the abrogation of the spine expansion. Inhibition of actin polymerization with cytochalasin D abolished the spine expansion. Together, our data suggest that cadherin-based adhesion machinery coupled with the actin-cytoskeleton is critical for the remodeling of synaptic apposition zone.

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