Discovery of Key Signaling Mechanism by HKUST Researchers Could Shed New Light on Treating Nerve-Muscle Disorders

Abstract

[evdate 2001-04-19] For release 19 April 2001

DISCOVERY OF KEY SIGNALING MECHANISM BY HKUST RESEARCHERS COULD SHED NEW LIGHT ON TREATING NERVE-MUSCLE DISORDERS

A research group of the Department of Biochemistry at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has discovered a novel signaling pathway critical in the functioning of the human nervous system. This scientific breakthrough may prove to be invaluable in the design of therapeutic agents for nerve-muscle disorders.

The HKUST paper on Cdk5 (cyclin-dependent kinase 5) was published in the April 2001 issue of the internationally renowned Nature Neuroscience, a member journal of the famous Nature series. It was the first paper from China accepted for publication in this prestigious journal. The paper was spotlighted in the "News and Views" section, illustrating the impact of these findings in the frontier field of neuroscience.

"The publication of our paper in Nature Neuroscience, a highly visible journal, certainly puts Hong Kong on the international map of neuroscience," said Prof Nancy Ip, Head of the Biochemistry Department and Director of Biotechnology Research Institute.

How our nervous system develops and functions remains one of the greatest mysteries in life sciences. A key feature of nerve cells that is essential for nerve impulse transmission is the presence of synapses, the contact points between nerve cells where the flow of information occurs. Despite rapid advances in neuroscience research during the past decade, much of the details in synapse formation have yet to be elucidated. A research team led by Prof Ip has identified a novel signaling mechanism at the nerve-muscle synapse mediated by a protein called Cdk5.

Cdk5, first identified by one of the team members, Prof Jerry Wang, is well known for playing important roles in the wiring of nerve cell processes in the brain. Prof Ip's research team has now made the unexpected discovery that Cdk5 is localized at the nerve-muscle synapse. Using a combination of molecular and cell biology approaches, the research team has demonstrated that Cdk5 is critical in controlling the expression of acetylcholine receptors, the key ion channels that are responsible for mediating the nerve impulse transmission from the spinal cord to the muscle. Their findings substantially increase our understanding of how nerve-muscle synapses develop and function, which in turn shed new light on synapse formation in the brain and the underlying mechanisms of learning and memory. The identification of Cdk5 as a key player in the functioning of nerve-muscle synapses may also help in the design of therapeutic agents to combat different types of nerve-muscle disorders.

For media enquiries only: Jacky Tsang Tel: 2358-6306 email: patsang@ust.hk Press Release at http www.ust.hk/~webopa/news/2001_News/news0419.html