Coronin-1 is a neurotrophin endosomal effector that is required for developmental competition for survival.

Abstract

Retrograde communication from axonal targets to neuronal cell bodies is critical for both development and function of the nervous system. Much progress has been made in recent years linking long-distance, retrograde signaling to a signaling endosome, yet the mechanisms governing the trafficking and signaling of these endosomes remain mainly uncharacterized. Here we report that in mouse sympathetic neurons the target-derived NGF-TrkA signaling endosome, upon arrival at the cell body, induces the expression and recruitment of a novel effector protein known as Coronin-1. In the absence of Coronin-1, the NGF-TrkA signaling endosome fuses to lysosomes 6–10 fold faster than when Coronin-1 is intact. We also define a novel Coronin-1-dependent trafficking event where signaling endosomes recycle and re-internalize upon arrival at the cell body. Beyond influencing endosomal trafficking, Coronin-1 is also required for several NGF-TrkA dependent-signaling events including calcium release, calcineurin activation, and CREB phosphorylation. These results establish Coronin-1 as an essential component of a novel feedback loop mediating NGF-TrkA endosome stability, recycling, and signaling as a critical mechanism governing developmental competition for survival.