title: How early is firing required for wiring?
abstract: Activity is known to be important for the refinement of neural connections in the developing brain. In this issue of Neuron, Hanson and Landmesser provide evidence that GABA-dependent spontaneous bursting of motor neurons in the embryonic spinal cord is required for the correct execution of an early axon pathfinding decision.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors.forename: Martyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goulding
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D020439:Growth Cones / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D039842:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule L1 / Q000378:metabolism; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D039842:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule L1; D012794:Sialic Acids; C103469:polysialyl neural cell adhesion molecule