Proteomic analysis of Girdin-interacting proteins in migrating new neurons in the postnatal mouse brain

Neural stem cells continuously generate new neurons in the ventricular-subventricular zone (V-SVZ) of the postnatal and adult mammalian brain. New neurons born in the rodent V-SVZ migrate toward the olfactory bulb (OB), where they differentiate into interneurons. To reveal novel intracellular molecular mechanisms that control postnatal neuronal migration, we performed a global proteomic search for proteins interacting with Girdin, an essential protein for postnatal neuronal migration. Using GST pull-down and LC-MS/MS shotgun analysis, we identified cytoskeletal proteins, cytoskeleton-binding proteins, and signal-transduction proteins as possible participants in neuronal migration. Our results suggest that Girdin and Girdin-interacting proteins control neuronal migration by regulating actin and/or microtubule dynamics.