title: Attractive and permissive activities of semaphorin 5A toward dorsal root ganglion axons in higher vertebrate embryos.
abstract: Elongation of the efferent fibers of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons toward their peripheral targets occurs during development. Attractive or permissive systems may be involved in this elongation. However, the molecular mechanisms that control it are largely unknown. Here we show that class 5 semaphorin Sema5A had attractive/permissive effects on DRG axons. In mouse embryos, Sema5A was expressed in and around the path of DRG efferent fibers, and cell aggregates secreting Sema5A attracted DRG axons in vitro. We also found that ectopic Sema5A expression in the spinal cord attracted DRG axons. Together, these findings suggest that Sema5A functions as an attractant to elongate DRG fibers and contributes to the formation of the early sensory network.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurobiology ; Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba ; Ibaraki , Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Chie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sakuma
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yaginuma
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology*; D002642:Chick Embryo; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000196:embryology*; D051379:Mice; D039961:Semaphorins / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C103619:Sema5A protein, mouse; D039961:Semaphorins
keywords: attractant; axonal guidance; chick embryo; dorsal root ganglion; mouse embryo; semaphorin