AUTHOR=Vagnozzi Alicia N. , Moore Matthew T. , López de Boer Raquel , Agarwal Aambar , Zampieri Niccolò , Landmesser Lynn T. , Philippidou Polyxeni TITLE=Catenin signaling controls phrenic motor neuron development and function during a narrow temporal window JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neural Circuits VOLUME=17 YEAR=2023 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neural-circuits/articles/10.3389/fncir.2023.1121049 DOI=10.3389/fncir.2023.1121049 ISSN=1662-5110 ABSTRACT=

Phrenic Motor Column (PMC) neurons are a specialized subset of motor neurons (MNs) that provide the only motor innervation to the diaphragm muscle and are therefore essential for survival. Despite their critical role, the mechanisms that control phrenic MN development and function are not well understood. Here, we show that catenin-mediated cadherin adhesive function is required for multiple aspects of phrenic MN development. Deletion of β- and γ-catenin from MN progenitors results in perinatal lethality and a severe reduction in phrenic MN bursting activity. In the absence of catenin signaling, phrenic MN topography is eroded, MN clustering is lost and phrenic axons and dendrites fail to grow appropriately. Despite the essential requirement for catenins in early phrenic MN development, they appear to be dispensable for phrenic MN maintenance, as catenin deletion from postmitotic MNs does not impact phrenic MN topography or function. Our data reveal a fundamental role for catenins in PMC development and suggest that distinct mechanisms are likely to control PMC maintenance.