ARC expands the DAAM1 microexon-mediated actin-RHOA/ROCK Interplay

Abstract

Data de publicació electrònica: 09-06-2025

Actin cytoskeleton and its dynamics play a crucial role in synaptic function, influencing dendritic spines' structural and functional plasticity. Recent findings unveiled the significance of alternative splicing of a neural-specific microexon in DAAM1 in modulating actin's role in synaptic processes. This article discusses the impact of this microexon on actin polymerization, the RHOA/ROCK signaling pathway, and cognitive functions. Furthermore, we present new results that reveal a more complex scenario involving the upregulation of the activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (ARC) protein in DAAM1 microexon KO models, which may further affect synaptic function and cognition.

The research has been funded by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (ERCCoG-LS2-101002275 to M.I.), Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2020-115040GB-I00 to M.I.), the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreements No. 721890 to P.P.