Deal breaker: semaphorin and specificity in the spinal stretch reflex circuit.
Stretch reflex circuits are a prime example of wiring specificity in the vertebrate spinal cord. Homonymous sensory afferents and motoneurons typically form monosynaptic connections, while neurons innervating antagonistic or unrelated muscles do not. Pecho-Vrieseling et al. now show that the semaphorin Sema3E and its receptor Plexin-D1 prevent monosynaptic connectivity in the cutaneous maximus muscle stretch reflex circuit.
Maro
Géraldine S
GS
Departments of Biology and Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. gmaro@stanford.edu
Shen
Kang
K
Cheng
Hwai-Jong
HJ
D000344:Afferent Pathways; D000818:Animals; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012026:Reflex, Stretch / Q000502:physiology*; D039961:Semaphorins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000502:physiology*
D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; D039961:Semaphorins