Skip to main content
. 2021 Dec 21;11(1):11. doi: 10.3390/cells11010011

Figure 2.

Figure 2

Summary of the molecular and cellular functions of AUTS2 in neurodevelopment: (A) Cytoplasmic AUTS2 activates the Rac1 signaling pathway via P-Rex1 and Elmo2/Dock180 complex, promoting neuronal migration and neurite extension. In contrast, AUTS2 inhibits Cdc42 activities to suppress filopodia formation. (B–D) In cell nuclei, AUTS2 activates gene transcription through histone modification by interacting with the PRC1 complex (B). AUTS2 represses the monoubiquitylation activity of RING1B by recruiting CK2 while promoting histone acetylation via P300. (C) AUTS2 controls neuronal differentiation from mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) through transcriptional activation of the sphingolipid-producing enzyme gene, St3gal5. In mESC, AUTS2 expression is repressed by globo-series glycosphingolipids generated from Gb3 synthase, Gb3S. (D) AUTS2 modulates the E/I balance by limiting the number of excitatory synapses. Loss of Auts2 leads to increased dendritic spine formation, disturbing the E/I balance within neural circuits. AUTS2 regulates the expression of the gene related to synapse development and functions. Moreover, Auts2 mutant mice display behavioral abnormalities in social interaction, vocal communication, cognition, and motor skills. Illustration created with BioRender.com.