Surfing on calcium waves.
A key question in brain development is how migration of neuronal precursors is guided to establish the ordered laminar layers. In the April 20, 2007 issue of Cell, Guan et al. show that the leading process of migrating cerebellar granule neurons senses repulsive Slit molecules by generating a Ca(2+) wave that propagates to the soma to cause reversal of cell polarity and migration.
Alder
Janet
J
Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 675 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA. alderja@umdnj.edu
Zheng
James Q
JQ
D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D016764:Cell Polarity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology; D020439:Growth Cones / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D000098552:Slit Homolog 2 Protein
D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000098552:Slit Homolog 2 Protein; D002118:Calcium