Loss of KHSRP Increases Neuronal Growth and Synaptic Transmission and Alters Memory Consolidation Through RNA Stabilization

ABSTRACT The KH-type splicing regulatory protein (KHSRP) is an RNA-binding protein linked to decay of AU-rich element containing mRNAs. We have previously shown that KHSRP destabilizes the mRNA encoding the growth-associated protein GAP-43 and decreases neurite growth in cultured embryonic neurons. In contrast, loss of KHSRP stabilizes Gap43 mRNA and increases neurite growth. Here, we have tested functions of neural KHSRP in vivo . We find upregulation of 1460 mRNAs in the neocortex of adult Khsrp −/− mice, of which 527 bind to KHSRP with high specificity. These KHSRP targets are involved in pathways for neuronal morphology, axon guidance, neurotransmission and long-term memory. Neocortical neurons show increased axon growth and dendritic spine density in Khsrp −/− mice. Analyses of neuronal cultures from embryonic Khsrp −/− mice point to a neuron-intrinsic alteration in axonal and dendritic growth and elevations in KHSRP-target mRNAs, including subcellularly localized mRNAs. Hippocampus and infralimbic cortex of Khsrp −/− mice show presynaptic elevations in neurotransmission. The Khsrp −/− mice have significant deficits in both trace conditioning and attention set-shifting tasks compared Khsrp +/+ mice, indicating impaired prefrontal- and hippocampal-dependent memory consolidation with loss of KHSRP. Overall, our results indicate that prenatal deletion of KHSRP impairs neuronal development resulting in alterations in neuronal morphology and function by changing post-transcriptional control of neuronal gene expression.