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. 2010 Feb 23;1(3):237–245. doi: 10.1007/s13238-010-0021-2

WldS, Nmnats and axon degeneration-progress in the past two decades

Yan Feng 1,2, Tingting Yan 1,2, Zhigang He 3, Qiwei Zhai 1,2,✉
PMCID: PMC4875081  PMID: 21203970

Abstract

A chimeric protein called Wallerian degeneration slow (WldS) was first discovered in a spontaneous mutant strain of mice that exhibited delayed Wallerian degeneration. This provides a useful tool in elucidating the mechanisms of axon degeneration. Over-expression of WldS attenuates the axon degeneration that is associated with several neurodegenerative disease models, suggesting a new logic for developing a potential protective strategy. At molecular level, although WldS is a fusion protein, the nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyl transferase 1 (Nmnat1) is required and sufficient for the protective effects of WldS, indicating a critical role of NAD biosynthesis and perhaps energy metabolism in axon degeneration. These findings challenge the proposed model in which axon degeneration is operated by an active programmed process and thus may have important implication in understanding the mechanisms of neurodegeneration. In this review, we will summarize these recent findings and discuss their relevance to the mechanisms of axon degeneration.

Keywords: axon degeneration, Wallerian degeneration, WldS, NAD, neurodegenerative diseases

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