New molecules for hippocampal development.
Pathfinding by developing axons towards their proper targets is an essential step in establishing appropriate neuronal connections. Recent work involving cell culture assays and molecular biology strategies, including knockout animals, strongly indicates that a complex network of guidance signals regulates the formation of hippocampal connections during development. Outgrowing axons are routed towards the hippocampal formation by specific expression of long-range cues, which include secreted class 3 semaphorins, netrin 1 and Slit proteins. Local membrane- or substrate-anchored molecules, such as ligands of the ephrin A subclass, provide layer-specific positional information. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie axonal guidance during hippocampal development might be of importance in making therapeutic use of sprouting fibers, which are produced following the loss of afferents in CNS lesion.
Skutella
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T
Neuroscience Research Center and Institute for Anatomy, Department of Cell and Neurobiology Humboldt University Hospital (Charité), Schumannstr. 20/21, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
Nitsch
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R
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D036384:Ephrin-A3; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000075388:Netrin-1; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D040121:Semaphorin-3A; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D036384:Ephrin-A3; D006023:Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C000617351:NTN1 protein, human; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C108639:SEMA3A protein, human; D040121:Semaphorin-3A; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D000075388:Netrin-1