Journal of neurochemistry
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CLP36, one of the alpha-Actinin Associated LIM Protein (ALP)/Enigma family proteins, has a wide tissue distribution, but little is known about its expression and role in the nervous system. We show here that CLP36 is expressed in sensory ganglia but not in the CNS of adult rats. In primary dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, CLP36 is distributed in the soma and neurites with enrichment in the growth cones. ⋯ Similarly, inhibition of CLP36 in primary DRG neurons increased the rate of neurite-bearing cells. We also found that CLP36 is up-regulated in DRG neurons and facial motoneurons after nerve injury. These findings suggest that CLP36 serves as a scaffold to form a multiprotein complex that regulates actin cytoskeleton dynamics and plays a role in controlling neurite outgrowth.