Axon guidance in the spinal cord: choosin' by exclusion.
A critical step in the formation of correct patterns of sensory inputs to the spinal cord is the guidance of specific subsets of sensory axons to their appropriate target regions. Yoshida et al. demonstrate in this issue of Neuron that a repulsive interaction between plexinA1 and sema6C/6D prevents the growth of proprioceptive sensory axons into the superficial laminae of the dorsal horn where cutaneous sensory axons terminate.
Frank
Eric
E
Department of Physiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA.
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000502:physiology; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics; D039961:Semaphorins / Q000235:genetics; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*
D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C492114:Plxna1 protein, mouse; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; C504199:Sema6c protein, mouse; C483479:Sema6d protein, mouse; D039961:Semaphorins