Neto2 assembles with kainate receptors in DRG neurons during development and modulates neurite outgrowth in adult sensory neurons

Claire G. Vernon, Geoffrey T. Swanson*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

Peripheral sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) are the initial transducers of sensory stimuli, including painful stimuli, from the periphery to central sensory and pain-processing centers. Small-to medium-diameter non-peptidergic neurons in the neonatal DRG express functional kainate receptors (KARs), one of three subfamilies of ionotropic glutamate receptors, as well as the putative KAR auxiliary subunit Neuropilin-and tolloid-like 2 (Neto2). Neto2 alters recombinant KAR function markedly but has yet to be confirmed as an auxiliary subunit that assembles with and alters the function of endogenous KARs. KARs in neonatal DRG require the GluK1 subunit as a necessary constituent, but it is unclear to what extent other KAR subunits contribute to the function and proposed roles of KARs in sensory ganglia, which include promotion of neurite outgrowth and modulation of glutamate release at the DRG-dorsal horn synapse. In addition, KARs containing the GluK1 subunit are implicated in modes of persistent but not acute pain signaling. We show here that the Neto2 protein is highly expressed in neonatal DRG and modifies KAR gating in DRG neurons in a developmentally regulated fashion in mice. Although normally at very low levels in adult DRG neurons, Neto2 protein expression can be upregulated via MEK/ERK signaling and after sciatic nerve crush and Neto2/ neurons from adult mice have stunted neurite outgrowth. These data confirm that Neto2 is a bona fide KAR auxiliary subunit that is an important constituent of KARs early in sensory neuron development and suggest that Neto2 assembly is critical to KAR modulation of DRG neuron process outgrowth.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)3352-3363
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Neuroscience
Volume37
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 22 2017

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke-National Institutes of Health (Grant R01NS071952 to G.T.S.) and a Julius B. Kahn Fellowship (C.G.V.). Imaging was performed at the Northwestern University Center for Advanced Microscopy generously supported by National Cancer Institute Cancer Center Support Grant P30 CA060553 awarded to the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center. Behavioral assays were performed at the Northwestern University Behavioral Phenotyping Core Facility.

Keywords

  • Auxiliary subunit
  • Axon outgrowth
  • Ionotropic glutamate receptor
  • Nociceptor
  • Pain
  • Voltage-clamp

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience

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