Delineation of the Molecular and Genetic Role of Teneurin C-terminal Associated Peptide-1 (TCAP-1) in Cytoskeletal Development and Neuroprotection Against Stress

The Corticotropin Releasing Factor (CRF) peptides are an evolutionarily conserved peptide family integral to the stress response. In 2002, an investigation was undertaken into possible homologues of CRF, which led to the discovery of the Teneurin C-terminal Associated Peptide (TCAP) family located on the C-terminal end of the teneurin proteins. This peptide family is involved in neuroprotection against stress. TCAP possesses a number of biological actions independent of teneurin, however, evidence of how TCAP is processed from its proprotein had not been determined. I hypothesize that TCAP is transcribed independently and has independent functionality in promoting filopodia elongation and outgrowth. Here, I show that TCAP-1 is independently expressed as an mRNA separate from the teneurin gene. Moreover, a key step in the TCAP-1 mediated molecular mechanism of filopodia outgrowth may require an interaction between Elongation Factor-1α (EF-1α) and the actin cytoskeleton, where this mechanism is not modulated by CRF.MAS