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Updated: May 31, 2026

Analyses of Actin Dynamics, Clutch Coupling and Traction Force for Growth Cone Advance
Published on: October 21, 2021
Control of growth cone motility and neurite outgrowth by SPIN90
Seon-Myung Kim1, Jeomil Bae, In Ha Cho
1Cell Dynamics and Bioimaging Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
SPIN90 is an F-actin binding protein thought to play important roles in regulating cytoskeletal dynamics. It is known that SPIN90 is expressed during the early stages of neuronal development, but details of its localization and function in growth cones have not been fully investigated. Our immunocytochemical data show that SPIN90 is enriched throughout growth cones and neuronal shafts in young hippocampal neurons. We also found that its localization correlates with and depends upon the presence of F-actin. Detailed observation of primary cultures of hippocampal neurons revealed that SPIN90 knockout reduces both growth cone areas and in the numbers of filopodia, as compared to wild-type neurons. In addition, total neurite length, the combined lengths of the longest (axonal) and shorter (dendritic) neurites, was smaller in SPIN90 knockout neurons than wild-type neurons. Finally, Cdc42 activity was down-regulated in SPIN90 knockout neurons. Taken together, our findings suggest that SPIN90 plays critical roles in controlling growth cone dynamics and neurite outgrowth.
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