Mammalian Pumilio 2 regulates dendrite morphogenesis and synaptic function.

In Drosophila, Pumilio (Pum) is important for neuronal homeostasis as well as learning and memory. We have recently characterized a mammalian homolog of Pum, Pum2, which is found in discrete RNA-containing particles in the somatodendritic compartment of polarized neurons. In this study, we investigated the role of Pum2 in developing and mature neurons by RNA interference.

A loss of function allele for murine Staufen1 leads to impairment of dendritic Staufen1-RNP delivery and dendritic spine morphogenesis.

The dsRNA-binding protein Staufen was the first RNA-binding protein proven to play a role in RNA localization in Drosophila. A mammalian homolog, Staufen1 (Stau1), has been implicated in dendritic RNA localization in neurons, translational control, and mRNA decay. However, the precise mechanisms by which it fulfills these specific roles are only partially understood.

High-efficiency transfection of short hairpin RNAs-encoding plasmids into primary hippocampal neurons.

The transfection of expression constructs encoding a variety of transgenes is a widely used method to study gene function in cultured cells. Especially when the efficiency of the knock-down of target proteins via small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) is to be determined by quantitative Western blotting, large proportions of untransfected cells compromise the analysis. Achieving high transfection efficiencies in postmitotic cells, such as neurons, poses a particular problem in that these cells cannot be selected for the expression of the transgene following transfection.