Phocein is an intracellular protein highly expressed in neurons. It is the major partner of the striatin family members which
are scaffolding proteins involved in signaling and trafficking. Due to its association with dynam in
via direct interactions with nucleotide diphosphate kinase (NDPK) and EPS15, phocein has been implicated in vesicular trafficking,
acting in particular in the endocytic process. This review focuses on immuno-cytochemical studies showing the strict localization
of phocein in Purkinje cell dendritic spines involved in excitatory transmission in the cerebellum of postnatal and adult
rodents. Immunogold labeling sometimes detects phocein in close vicinity with, endocytic-like membrane profiles suggesting
that phocein plays a role in endocytosis. Furthermore, co-localization of phocein and SG2NA within spines suggests that their
interactions have a functional significance in the molecular cascades that underly membrane trafficking in postsynaptic structures.
As the striatin family members are highly concentrated in dendritic spines, their interactions with phocein might be involved
in mediating synaptic plasticity through spine remodeling by endocytosis.
Key words Phocein - striatin family - endocytosis - dendritic spines - Purkinje cell