Neuron
Volume 6, Issue 3, March 1991, Pages 411-420
Journal home page for Neuron

Article
Targeting of neuromodulin (GAP-43) fusion proteins to growth cones in cultured rat embryonic neurons

https://doi.org/10.1016/0896-6273(91)90249-YGet rights and content

Abstract

Neuromodulin (GAP-43) is a membrane protein that is transported to neuronal growth cones. Zuber and co-workers have proposed that the N-terminal 10 amino acid sequence of neuromodulin is sufficient to target proteins to growth cones. We demonstrate that a neuromodulin(β-galactosidase fusion protein is transported to growth cones of cultured rat neurons, whereas a fusion protein containing the N-terminal 10 amino acids of neuromodulin and (β-galactosidase is not. A mutant neuromodulin lacking cysteines 3 and 4, the palmitylation sites required for membrane attachment, does not target β-galactosi-dase to growth cones. We conclude that membrane attachment is required for growth cone accumulation and that structural elements, in addition to the first 10 amino acids of neuromodulin, may be required for growth cone targeting.

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