title: Modulation of chemotropism in the developing spinal cord by substance P.
abstract: Developing axons find their targets through direct contact with cues in the extracellular environment and in response to gradients of diffusible factors. The floor plate, a neuroepithelial structure, guides developing commissural axons in the spinal cord by release of chemoattractants. Floor plate cells express neurokinin-1 receptors, and a transiently appearing subpopulation of commissural axons contains substance P, the neuropeptide ligand for this receptor. Substance P increases the amount of axon outgrowth from dorsal horn explants cocultured with floor plate explants. Results of experiments with embryonic rats suggest that substance P released from pioneering neuronal pathways may regulate the release of chemoattractants from floor plate cells.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurobiology, Medical Research Council, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Felipe
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Pinnock
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Hunt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002630:Chemotactic Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D046508:Culture Techniques; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D018040:Receptors, Neurokinin-1 / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D013373:Substance P / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002630:Chemotactic Factors; D018040:Receptors, Neurokinin-1; D013373:Substance P; D002118:Calcium