SMN Requirement for Synaptic Vesicle, Active Zone and Microtubule Postnatal Organization in Motor Nerve Terminals

Low levels of the Survival Motor Neuron (SMN) protein produce Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a severe monogenetic disease in infants characterized by muscle weakness and impaired synaptic transmission. We report here severe structural and functional alterations in the organization of the organelles...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Torres Benito, Laura, Feodora Neher, Margret, Cano, Raquel, Tabares, Lucía
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2011
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
Repositorio:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
OAI Identifier:oai:idus.us.es:11441/107461
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/11441/107461
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0026164
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:SMN
Synaptic Vesicle
Microtubule Postnatal
Spinal Muscular Atrophy
SMA
Descripción
Sumario:Low levels of the Survival Motor Neuron (SMN) protein produce Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a severe monogenetic disease in infants characterized by muscle weakness and impaired synaptic transmission. We report here severe structural and functional alterations in the organization of the organelles and the cytoskeleton of motor nerve terminals in a mouse model of SMA. The decrease in SMN levels resulted in the clustering of synaptic vesicles (SVs) and Active Zones (AZs), reduction in the size of the readily releasable pool (RRP), and the recycling pool (RP) of synaptic vesicles, a decrease in active mitochondria and limiting of neurofilament and microtubule maturation. We propose that SMN is essential for the normal postnatal maturation of motor nerve terminals and that SMN deficiency disrupts the presynaptic organization leading to neurodegeneration.