title: Protocadherins control the modular assembly of neuronal columns in the zebrafish optic tectum.
abstract: Cell-cell recognition guides the assembly of the vertebrate brain during development. δ-Protocadherins comprise a family of neural adhesion molecules that are differentially expressed and have been implicated in a range of neurodevelopmental disorders. Here we show that the expression of δ-protocadherins partitions the zebrafish optic tectum into radial columns of neurons. Using in vivo two-photon imaging of bacterial artificial chromosome transgenic zebrafish, we show that pcdh19 is expressed in discrete columns of neurons, and that these columnar modules are derived from proliferative pcdh19(+) neuroepithelial precursors. Elimination of pcdh19 results in both a disruption of columnar organization and defects in visually guided behaviors. These results reveal a fundamental mechanism for organizing the developing nervous system: subdivision of the early neuroepithelium into precursors with distinct molecular identities guides the autonomous development of parallel neuronal units, organizing neural circuit formation and behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210 Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210.
authors.forename: Sharon R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210.
authors.forename: Michelle R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Emond
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210.
authors.forename: Phan Q
authors.initials: PQ
authors.lastname: Duy
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210.
authors.forename: Brandon G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Liebau
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706.
authors.forename: Marc A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Wolman
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210 Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 jontes.1@osu.edu.
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Jontes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015820:Cadherins / Q000502:physiology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D055786:Gene Knockout Techniques; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D000091363:Protocadherins; D013477:Superior Colliculi / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015027:Zebrafish; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; C545892:Pcdh19 protein, zebrafish; D000091363:Protocadherins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins