Sensing nerve injury at the axonal ER: Activated Luman/CREB3 serves as a novel axonally synthesized retrograde regeneration signal

Luman/cAMP response element binding protein 3 is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) transmembrane basic leucine zipper transcription factor whose mRNA and protein localize to adult sensory axons, the latter with axonal ER components along the axon length. Here we show that axon-derived Luman plays an important role in relaying information about axonal injury to the neuronal cell body. Axotomy induces axonal Luman synthesis and also release from the axonal ER of Luman’s transcriptionally active amino terminus, which is transported to the cell body in an importin-mediated manner. Visualization of the activation and retrograde translocation of Luman into the nucleus in real time both in vivo and in vitro was accomplished using a specially created N- and C-terminal–tagged Luman adenoviral vector. Small interfering RNA used to reduce Luman expression either neuronally or just axonally significantly impaired the ability of 24-h injury-conditioned sensory neurons to extend the regeneration-associated elongating form of axon growth but had no impact on axon outgrowth in naive neurons. Collectively, these findings link injury-associated axonal ER responses proximal to the site of injury to the intrinsic regenerative growth capacity of adult sensory neurons.