Thinking within the D box: Initial identification of Cdh1–APC substrates in the nervous system

The anaphase-promoting complex (APC) has a well-established role in cell cycle control, but recent exciting evidence has uncovered unexpected neurobiological functions for this complex E3 ubiquitin ligase. With its co-activator Cdh1, APC’s effects upon the nervous system range from regulation of axon growth and patterning to development of synapses to neuronal survival. The Cdh1–APC substrates that control these biological processes in neurons are just beginning to be identified. These findings may offer a glimpse of the wide spectrum of neural activities that are orchestrated by Cdh1–APC.