How early is firing required for wiring?
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.
Goulding
Martyn
M
Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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
D039842:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule L1; D012794:Sialic Acids; C103469:polysialyl neural cell adhesion molecule