title: Get ready to Wnt: prepatterning in neuromuscular junction formation.
abstract: Clustering of acetylcholine receptors (AChR) in muscle fibers prior to innervation by motor neurons is thought to be involved in neuromuscular junction formation. Jing et al. now report in Neuron that this prepatterning of AChRs, via a novel MuSK-dependent Wnt pathway, may guide motor axons to the central region of muscle fibers for synapse formation in zebrafish.
authors.affiliation: Program of Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Department of Neurology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA 30912, USA.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wen C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mei
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008322:Mammals; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009154:Mutation; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000254:growth & development*; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000502:physiology; D011973:Receptors, LDL / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015027:Zebrafish
chemical_list: D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D011973:Receptors, LDL; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases