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Updated: May 23, 2026

A Stably Established Two-Point Injection of Lysophosphatidylcholine-Induced Focal Demyelination Model in Mice
Published on: May 11, 2022
Lysophosphatidic acid induces neurite branch formation through LPA3
Daisuke Furuta1, Masayuki Yamane, Toshifumi Tsujiuchi
1Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Life Science, Kinki University, Higashiosaka, Japan.
Abstract:
Although neurite branching is crucial for neuronal network formation after birth, its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) stimulates neurite branching through a novel signaling pathway. Treatment of neuronal cell lines with LPA resulted in neurite branch formation when LPA(3) receptor was introduced. The effects of LPA were blocked by inhibition of G(q) signaling. Furthermore, expression of inhibitory mutants of the small GTPase Rnd2/Rho7 or an Rnd2 effector rapostlin abolished LPA(3)-mediated neurite branching. The LPA(3) agonist 2(S)-OMPT or LPA also induced axonal branch formation in hippocampal neurons, which was blocked by G(q) and Rnd2 pathway inhibition or LPA(3) knockdown. These findings suggest that the novel signaling pathway involving LPA(3), G(q), and Rnd2 may play an important role in neuronal network formation.
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