Institute of Health Science, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai 200025, China

Abstract 

Type II DNA topoisomerases (Tops) are ATP-dependent enzymes that catalyze topological transformations of genomic DNA by the transport of one DNA double helix through another. In mammals, there are 2 isoforms of DNA Top II, termed Top IIα and Top IIβ. The IIβ isoform is abundantly expressed in cells that have undergone the final cell division and are committed to differentiation into neuronal cells. In recent years, there have been accumulating studies showing the significant role of Top IIβ in neuronal development through regulating expression of certain genes in cells committed to the neuronal fate after the final division. These genes are involved in the processes of neuronal differentiation, migration, axon guidance and so on. The present review mainly focused on the research progress on the role of Top IIβ in neuronal development over the recent decades.

Keywords

neuronal development; axon guidance; neuronal differentiation

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