Significance
Phosphatase and tensin homolog protein (PTEN) and fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) play a vital role in neuronal development and function. This work provides new evidence for the genetic interaction of
Pten
and
Fmr1
in postnatal development of granule neurons and conserved mechanisms across evolution. The observed cellular phenotypic defects in
Pten
and
Fmr1
knockout (KO) could be rectified and restored by heterozygosity of
Pten
in
Fmr1
KO neurons. Additionally, increased expression of PTEN in background
Fmr1
KO animals suggests that FMRP negatively regulates PTEN, and we propose that introducing a combination of genetic mutations may normalize structural aspects of neuronal morphology by balancing each other’s expression.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.