Molecular characterisation of axonal fusion, a highly efficient means of nervous system repair.

Event Abstract Back to Event Molecular characterisation of axonal fusion, a highly efficient means of nervous system repair Brent Neumann1*, Sean Coakley2, Rosina Giordano-Santini2, Zehra C. Abay1, Casey Linton2, Eui Seung Lee3, Akishisa Nakagawa3, Ding Xue3 and Massimo A. Hilliard2 1 Monash University, Neuroscience Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Australia 2 The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Australia 3 University of Colorado, Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, United States To achieve functional regeneration after injury, damaged axons must regrow and re-establish connection with their original target tissue. A spontaneous regenerative mechanism known as axonal fusion provides an efficient means of achieving this: a regrowing axon is able to contact and fuse with its own separated axon fragment, thereby re-establishing the original axonal tract. Using a UV-laser to transect individual axons in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans,/i>, we define the dynamics of axonal fusion and uncover the molecular mechanisms responsible for the process. We find that regenerative axonal fusion shares much of its molecular machinery with that involved in the process of apoptosis. Following axonal transection, the normal phospholipid asymmetry of the plasma membrane is lost, causing the membrane lipid phosphatidylserine (PS), which is normally restricted to the cytoplasmic leaflet, to be externalised and to function as a ‘save me’ signal for recognition between the regrowing axon and its separated fragment. We found that specific secreted ligands bind to the exposed PS, allowing for its recognition through interactions with specific receptors expressed on the regrowing axon. Following reconnection, the two axonal membranes are fused together by the actions of the fusogen molecule EFF-1. Thus, we have found that conserved apoptotic cell clearance molecules function to efficiently repair the damaged nervous system. Keywords: Caenorhabditis elegans, Regeneration, phosphatidylserine, Axonal fusion, nervous system repair Conference: 14th Meeting of the Asian-Pacific Society for Neurochemistry, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 27 Aug - 30 Aug, 2016. Presentation Type: YIC06: Young Investigator Colloquium 6 Topic: 14th Meeting of the Asian-Pacific Society for Neurochemistry Citation: Neumann B, Coakley S, Giordano-Santini R, Abay ZC, Linton C, Seung Lee E, Nakagawa A, Xue D and Hilliard MA (2016). Molecular characterisation of axonal fusion, a highly efficient means of nervous system repair. Conference Abstract: 14th Meeting of the Asian-Pacific Society for Neurochemistry. doi: 10.3389/conf.fncel.2016.36.00073 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 04 Aug 2016; Published Online: 11 Aug 2016. * Correspondence: Dr. Brent Neumann, Monash University, Neuroscience Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, brent.neumann@monash.edu Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Brent Neumann Sean Coakley Rosina Giordano-Santini Zehra C Abay Casey Linton Eui Seung Lee Akishisa Nakagawa Ding Xue Massimo A Hilliard Google Brent Neumann Sean Coakley Rosina Giordano-Santini Zehra C Abay Casey Linton Eui Seung Lee Akishisa Nakagawa Ding Xue Massimo A Hilliard Google Scholar Brent Neumann Sean Coakley Rosina Giordano-Santini Zehra C Abay Casey Linton Eui Seung Lee Akishisa Nakagawa Ding Xue Massimo A Hilliard PubMed Brent Neumann Sean Coakley Rosina Giordano-Santini Zehra C Abay Casey Linton Eui Seung Lee Akishisa Nakagawa Ding Xue Massimo A Hilliard Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.