Plectin in the central nervous system and a putative role in brain astrocytes

Potokar, Maja (author), Jorgačevski, Jernej (author)

Plectin, a high-molecular-mass cytolinker, is abundantly expressed in the central nervous system (CNS). Currently, a limited amount of data about plectin in the CNS prevents us from seeing the complete picture of how plectin affects the functioning of the CNS as a whole. Yet, by analogy to its role in other tissues, it is anticipated that, in the CNS, plectin also functions as the key cytoskeleton interlinking molecule. Thus, it is likely involved in signalling processes, thereby affecting numerous fundamental functions in the brain and spinal cord. Versatile direct and indirect interactions of plectin with cytoskeletal filaments and enzymes in the cells of the CNS in normal physiological and in pathologic conditions remain to be fully addressed. Several pathologies of the CNS related to plectin have been discovered in patients with plectinopathies. However, in view of plectin as an integrator of a cohesive mesh of cellular proteins, it is important that the role of plectin is also considered in other CNS pathologies. This review summarizes the current knowledge of plectin in the CNS, focusing on plectin isoforms that have been detected in the CNS, along with its expression profile and distribution alongside diverse cytoskeleton filaments in CNS cell types. Considering that the bidirectional communication between neurons and glial cells, especially astrocytes, is crucial for proper functioning of the CNS, we place particular emphasis on the known roles of plectin in neurons, and we propose possible roles of plectin in astrocytes.

• Language: English
• Keywords: plectin, central nervous system, astrocytes, glia, neurons, intermediate filaments, microtubules, actin filaments, cytolinker proteins
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: 17 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 10, iss. 9, art. 2353
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-136141
• UDC: 616-092
• ISSN on article: 2073-4409
• DOI: 10.3390/cells10092353
• COBISS.SI-ID: 76345603
• Publication date in RUL: 13.04.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Cells
• Shortened title: Cells
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2073-4409
• COBISS.SI-ID: 519958809

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 08.09.2021

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: plektin, centralni živčni sistem, astrociti