CeBiTec Colloquium

 date 

Monday, November 29th 2010, 17 c.t.

 location 

G2-104, CeBiTec Building

 speaker 

Prof. Dr. Michael Frotscher

Institut für Anatomie und Zellbiologie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg

title 

Role for Reelin in stabilizing mature cortical architecture

  Reelin is a large protein of the extracellular matrix. It controls the migration of neurons and layer formation during brain development. However, recent studies have shown that disrupting Reelin function in the adult hippocampus induces repositioning of fully differentiated neurons, suggesting a stabilizing effect of Reelin on mature neuronal circuitry. Indeed, Reelin was recently found to stabilize the actin cytoskeleton by inducing cofilin phosphorylation (Chai et al., 2009). When unphosphorylated, cofilin acts as an actin-depolymerizing protein that promotes the disassembly of F-actin. Here, a novel hypothesis is proposed whereby decreased Reelin expression in the mature brain causes destabilization of neurons and their processes, leading to aberrant plasticity and aberrant wiring of brain circuitry. This has implications for brain disorders, such as epilepsy and schizophrenia, in which deficiencies in Reelin expression occur (Frotscher, 2010).

Chai X, Förster E, Zhao S, Bock HH, Frotscher M (2009) Reelin stabilizes the actin cytoskeleton of neuronal processes by inducing n-cofilin phosphorylation at serine3. J Neurosci 29:288-299.

Frotscher M (2010) Role for Reelin in stabilizing cortical architecture. Trends Neurosci 33:407-414.
 host 

Prof. Dr. Christian Kaltschmidt