title: Ganglion cell axon pathfinding in the retina and optic nerve.
abstract: The eye is a highly specialized structure that gathers and converts light information into neuronal signals. These signals are relayed along axons of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) to visual centers in the brain for processing. In this review, we discuss the pathfinding tasks RGC axons face during development and the molecular mechanisms known to be involved. The data at hand support the presence of multiple axon guidance mechanisms concentrically organized around the optic nerve head, each of which appears to involve both growth-promoting and growth-inhibitory guidance molecules. Together, these strategies ensure proper optic nerve formation and establish the anatomical pathway for faithful transmission of information between the retina and the brain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Program in Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, K107, Beckman Vision Sciences Bldg, 10 Kirkham St, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Oster
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deiner
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Birgbauer
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Sretavan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000502:physiology; D036342:Ephrins / Q000502:physiology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin / Q000502:physiology; D020439:Growth Cones / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009154:Mutation; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D000075388:Netrin-1; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011972:Receptor, Insulin / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D036081:Receptors, Eph Family / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D025962:Septo-Optic Dysplasia / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins
chemical_list: D036342:Ephrins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C492289:SLIT1 protein, human; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D000075388:Netrin-1; D011972:Receptor, Insulin; D036081:Receptors, Eph Family