title: Axon guidance mechanisms in Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: Genetic studies have identified an extracellular path cue molecule, UNC-6, and a neuronal receptor, UNC-5, that act to guide migrating pioneer growth cones along the dorsoventral coordinate of the Caenorhabditis elegans body wall. Ectopic expression studies and characterization of mutants have demonstrated directly the instructive action of these molecules, suggesting a molecular model for how they perform their guidance functions. Recent evidence suggests that these and other genetically identified axon guidance molecules are likely to have vertebrate counterparts.
authors.affiliation: Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Culotti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology*; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics; D016764:Cell Polarity / Q000235:genetics; D002630:Chemotactic Factors / Q000235:genetics; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000502:physiology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D009154:Mutation; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000075385:Netrins; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000196:embryology; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D018523:Tropism
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002630:Chemotactic Factors; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000075385:Netrins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor; C078146:UNC-6 protein, C elegans; C077588:UNC-5 protein, C elegans