The T516 phosphorylation was achieved by the glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta), which can phosphorylate the wildtype protein but not the non-phosphorylatable mutant. Furthermore, we have shown that T516 phosphorylation is essential for the tubulin-binding property of CRMP5. Therefore, CRMP5-induced growth inhibition is dependent on T516 phosphorylation through the GSK-3beta pathway.
The studies on CRMP5 function show that, by interacting with tubulin and MAP2, this protein inhibits neurite growth especially at the dendritic level and restricts the promotional effect of CRMP2 on axon and dendrite growth