title: Area specificity and topography of thalamocortical projections are controlled by ephrin/Eph genes.
abstract: The mechanisms generating precise connections between specific thalamic nuclei and cortical areas remain poorly understood. Using axon tracing analysis of ephrin/Eph mutant mice, we provide in vivo evidence that Eph receptors in the thalamus and ephrins in the cortex control intra-areal topographic mapping of thalamocortical (TC) axons. In addition, we show that the same ephrin/Eph genes unexpectedly control the inter-areal specificity of TC projections through the early topographic sorting of TC axons in an intermediate target, the ventral telencephalon. Our results constitute the first identification of guidance cues involved in inter-areal specificity of TC projections and demonstrate that the same set of mapping labels is used differentially for the generation of topographic specificity of TC projections between and within individual cortical areas.
authors.affiliation: IRIBHM, University of Brussels (U.L.B.), 808 Route de Lennik, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dufour
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seibt
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Passante
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Depaepe
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ciossek
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Frisén
authors.forename: Klas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kullander
authors.forename: John G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Flanagan
authors.forename: Franck
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Polleux
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vanderhaeghen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000196:embryology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D036385:Ephrin-A4 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D036386:Ephrin-A5 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D008024:Ligands; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000196:embryology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D036122:Receptor, EphA4 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D036123:Receptor, EphA5 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D013788:Thalamus / Q000196:embryology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D036385:Ephrin-A4; D036386:Ephrin-A5; D008024:Ligands; D036122:Receptor, EphA4; D036123:Receptor, EphA5