Dendrite morphogenesis is essential for a neuron to establish its receptive field and is, thus, the anatomical basis for the proper functioning of the nervous system. The molecular mechanisms governing dendrite branching are not fully understood. Using the multi-dendritic PVD neuron in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, we identify CATP-8/P5A ATPase as a key regulator of dendrite branching that controls the translocation of the DMA-1 receptor to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The specific signal peptide of DMA-1 and the ATPase activity of CATP-8 are essential for this process. Our results reveal that P5A ATPase may regulate protein translocation in the ER.

树突形态发生对于神经元建立其感受野至关重要，因此是神经系统正常运作的解剖学基础。支配枝晶分支的分子机制尚未完全了解。使用线虫秀丽隐杆线虫中的多树突状PVD神经元，我们确定CATP-8 / P5A ATPase是树突分支的关键调节剂，其控制DMA-1受体向内质网（ER）的移位。DMA-1的特异性信号肽和CATP-8的ATPase活性对该过程至关重要。我们的结果表明，P5A ATPase可能调节内质网中的蛋白质转运。