Data from: Marcks and Marcks-like 1 proteins promote spinal cord development and regeneration in Xenopus

Marcks and Marcksl1 are abundant proteins that shuttle between the
cytoplasm and membrane to modulate multiple cellular processes, including
cytoskeletal dynamics, proliferation, and secretion. Here, we performed
loss- and gain-of-function experiments in Xenopus laevis to reveal the
novel roles of these proteins in spinal cord development and regeneration.
We show that Marcks and Marcksl1 have partly redundant functions and are
required for normal neurite formation and proliferation of neuro-glial
progenitors during embryonic spinal cord development and for its
regeneration during tadpole stages. Rescue experiments in Marcks and
Marcksl1 loss of function animals further suggested that some of the
functions of Marcks and Marcksl1 in the spinal cord are mediated by
phospholipid signaling. Taken together, these findings identify Marcks and
Marcksl1 as critical new players in spinal cord development and
regeneration and suggest new pathways to be targeted for therapeutic
stimulation of spinal cord regeneration in human patients.