A Novel c-Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK) Signaling Complex Involved in Neuronal Migration during Brain Development

Disturbance of neuronal migration may cause various neurological disorders. Both the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling and microcephaly-associated protein WDR62 are important for neuronal migration during brain development; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms involved remain unclear. We show here that knock-out or knockdown of Tak1 (TGFβ-activated kinase 1) and Jnk2 (c-Jun N-terminal kinase 2) perturbs neuronal migration during cortical development and that the migration defects incurred by knock-out and/or knockdown of Tβr2 (type II TGF-β receptor) or Tak1 can be partially rescued by expression of TAK1 and JNK2, respectively. Furthermore, TAK1 forms a protein complex with RAC1 and two scaffold proteins of the JNK pathway, the microcephaly-associated protein WDR62 and the RAC1-interacting protein POSH (plenty of Src homology). Components of the complex coordinate with each other in the regulation of TAK1 as well as JNK activities. We suggest that unique JNK protein complexes are involved in the diversified biological and pathological functions during brain development and pathogenesis of diseases.