Toshihide Yamashita

Myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) is a potent inhibitor of neurite outgrowth from a variety of neurons. The receptor for MAG or signals that elicit morphological changes in neurons remained to be established. Here we show that the neurotrophin receptor p75 (p75(NTR)) is the signal transducing element for MAG. Adult dorsal root ganglion neurons or postnatal cerebellar neurons from mice carrying a mutation in the p75(NTR) gene are insensitive to MAG with regard to neurite outgrowth. MAG activat

Rho kinase (ROCK) is a serine/threonine kinase and a downstream target of the small GTPase Rho. The RhoA/ROCK pathway is associated with various neuronal functions such as migration, dendrite development, and axonal extension. Evidence from animal studies reveals that RhoA/ROCK signaling is involved in various central nervous system (CNS) diseases, including optic nerve and spinal cord injuries, stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases. Given that RhoA/ROCK plays a critical role in the pathophysio

Here we report the cloning and functional characterization of a rat novel peptide/histidine transporter (PHT1), which was expressed in the brain and the retina. The cDNA encodes the predicted protein of 572 amino acid residues with 12 putative membrane-spanning domains. The amino acid sequence has moderate homology with a nonspecific peptide transporter found in the plant. When expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, PHT1 cRNA induced high affinity proton-dependent histidine transport activity. Thi

The data from this study provide useful information on the dynamics of immune cells in CNS injuries.

Accumulating evidence suggests that immune cells perform crucial inflammation-related functions including clearing dead tissue and promoting wound healing. Thus, they provide a conducive environment for better neuronal regeneration and functional recovery after adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS) injury. However, activated immune cells can also induce secondary damage of intact tissue and inhibit post-injury CNS repair. The inflammation response is due to the microglial production of cy

Myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) and Nogo are potent inhibitors of neurite outgrowth from a variety of neurons, and they have been identified as possible components of the central nervous system myelin that prevents axonal regeneration in the adult vertebrate central nervous system. The activation of RhoA and Rho-kinase is reported to be an essential part of the signaling mechanism of these proteins. Here, we report that the collapsing response mediator protein-2 (CRMP-2) is phosphorylated b

Several myelin-associated proteins in the central nervous system (CNS) have been identified as inhibitors of axonal regeneration following the injury of the adult vertebrate CNS. Among these inhibitors, myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG), Nogo, and oligodendrocyte-myelin glycoprotein (OMgp) are well characterized. Recently, the repulsive guidance molecule (RGM) was included as a potent myelin-derived neurite outgrowth inhibitor in vitro and in vivo. The discovery of the receptors and downstrea

By causing damage to neural networks, spinal cord injuries (SCI) often result in severe motor and sensory dysfunction. Functional recovery requires axonal regrowth and regeneration of neural network, processes that are quite limited in the adult central nervous system (CNS). Previous work has shown that SCI lesions contain an accumulation of activated microglia, which can have multiple pathophysiological influences. Here, we show that activated microglia inhibit axonal growth via repulsive guida

Demyelination in the central nervous system (CNS) leads to severe neurological deficits that can be partially reversed by spontaneous remyelination. Because the CNS is isolated from the peripheral milieu by the blood-brain barrier, remyelination is thought to be controlled by the CNS microenvironment. However, in this work we found that factors derived from peripheral tissue leak into the CNS after injury and promote remyelination in a murine model of toxin-induced demyelination. Mechanistically

Wnt proteins are a large family of diffusible factors that play important roles in embryonic development, including axis patterning, cell fate specification, proliferation, and axon development. It was recently demonstrated that Ryk (receptor related to tyrosine kinase) is a conserved high-affinity Wnt receptor, and that Ryk-Wnt interactions guide corticospinal axons down the spinal cord during development. Here, we report that the Ryk-Wnt signal mediates the inhibition of corticospinal axon gro