Role of the Rho GTPase-activating protein RICS in neurite outgrowth

The Rho family of small GTPases, including RhoA, Rac1 and Cdc42, are critical regulators of the actin cytoskeleton. In neuronal systems, Rho GTPase-activating proteins (RhoGAPs) and their substrates, Rho GTPases, have been implicated in regulating multiple processes in the morphological development of neurons, including axonal growth and guidance, dendritic elaboration and formation of synapses. RICS is mainly expressed in the brain and functions as a RhoGAP protein for Cdc42 and Rac1 in vitro. To examine the biological function of RICS, we disrupted the RICS gene in mice. RICS knockout mice developed normally and were fertile. However, when cultured in vitro, Cdc42 activity in RICS-/- neurons was higher than that in wild-type neurons. Consistent with this finding, hippocampal and cerebellar granule neurons derived from RICS-/- mice bore longer neurites than those from wild-type mice. These findings suggest that RICS plays an important role in neurite extension by regulating Cdc42 in vivo.