Ndr kinases regulate retinal interneuron proliferation and homeostasis

Sci Rep. 2018 Aug 22;8(1):12544. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-30492-9.

Abstract

Ndr2/Stk38l encodes a protein kinase associated with the Hippo tumor suppressor pathway and is mutated in a naturally-occurring canine early retinal degeneration (erd). To elucidate the retinal functions of Ndr2 and its paralog Ndr1/Stk38, we generated Ndr1 and Ndr2 single knockout mice. Although retinal lamination appeared normal in these mice, Ndr deletion caused a subset of Pax6-positive amacrine cells to proliferate in differentiated retinas, while concurrently decreasing the number of GABAergic, HuD and Pax6-positive amacrine cells. Retinal transcriptome analyses revealed that Ndr2 deletion increased expression of neuronal stress genes and decreased expression of synaptic organization genes. Consistent with the latter, Ndr deletion dramatically reduced levels of Aak1, an Ndr substrate that regulates vesicle trafficking. Our findings indicate that Ndr kinases are important regulators of amacrine and photoreceptor cells and suggest that Ndr kinases inhibit the proliferation of a subset of terminally differentiated cells and modulate interneuron synapse function via Aak1.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amacrine Cells / cytology
  • Animals
  • Cell Proliferation
  • ELAV-Like Protein 4 / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Homeostasis
  • Interneurons / cytology*
  • Interneurons / metabolism*
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • PAX6 Transcription Factor / metabolism
  • Photoreceptor Cells / metabolism
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Retina / cytology*
  • Retina / metabolism
  • Retinal Bipolar Cells / cytology
  • Retinal Bipolar Cells / metabolism

Substances

  • ELAV-Like Protein 4
  • Elavl4 protein, mouse
  • PAX6 Transcription Factor
  • Pax6 protein, mouse
  • Aak1 protein, mouse
  • NDR1 protein kinase, mouse
  • NDR2 protein kinase, mouse
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases