Expression of Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their ligands in chick embryonic motor neurons and hindlimb muscles.
Evidence is accumulating that Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their ligands regulate cell migration and axonal guidance during development. It was previously found that one of the Eph receptors, EphA4, is transiently expressed in subsets of chick embryonic motor neurons. Here, the expression of EphA and ephrin-A subfamily members was further examined, and the dynamic patterns of expression in chick embryonic motor neurons found. EphA3, EphA4, ephrin-A2, and ephrin-A5 were also expressed in the connective tissues of limb muscles and EphA3 and EphA4 expressing motor neurons innervated EphA3 and EphA4 expressing limb muscles, respectively. These spatiotemporal expression patterns suggest that EphA and ephrin-A proteins play important roles in muscle patterning and motor axonal guidance.
Iwamasa
H
H
Division of Developmental Neurobiology, Kumamoto University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Honjo, Japan.
Ohta
K
K
Yamada
T
T
Ushijima
K
K
Terasaki
H
H
Tanaka
H
H
D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning; D002465:Cell Movement; D002642:Chick Embryo; D036383:Ephrin-A2; D036386:Ephrin-A5; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006614:Hindlimb; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000201:enzymology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000196:embryology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000294:innervation; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D036082:Receptor, EphA1; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics
D036383:Ephrin-A2; D036386:Ephrin-A5; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D036082:Receptor, EphA1