[FRIAM] Arc gene transports mRNA's across synapses

[Roger Critchlow]

In case you thought you understood the general molecular biology of life,
here's another curve ball for you:

http://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(17)31504-0

Summary

The neuronal gene *Arc* is essential for long-lasting information storage
in the mammalian brain, mediates various forms of synaptic plasticity, and
has been implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders. However, little is
known about Arc’s molecular function and evolutionary origins. Here, we
show that Arc self-assembles into virus-like capsids that encapsulate RNA.
Endogenous Arc protein is released from neurons in extracellular vesicles
that mediate the transfer of *Arc* mRNA into new target cells, where it can
undergo activity-dependent translation. Purified Arc capsids are
endocytosed and are able to transfer *Arc* mRNA into the cytoplasm of
neurons. These results show that Arc exhibits similar molecular properties
to retroviral Gag proteins. Evolutionary analysis indicates that Arc is
derived from a vertebrate lineage of Ty3/*gypsy* retrotransposons, which
are also ancestors to retroviruses. These findings suggest that Gag
retroelements have been repurposed during evolution to mediate
intercellular communication in the nervous system.
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