Mathematical characterisation of the transduction chain in growth cone pathfinding.

Mathematical models of axon guidance: towards the understanding of a key process in development

In the developing embryo, neurons form connections by projecting axons to appropriate target areas. The complete understanding of this process, still far to be achieved, is yet an important goal, since for example it may pave the way to learning how to repair lesions in the nervous system. Pathfinding of growing nerves crucially relies on extracellular navigational cues. Guidance by gradients o...

RACK-1 Acts with Rac GTPase Signaling and UNC-115/abLIM in Caenorhabditis elegans Axon Pathfinding and Cell Migration

Migrating cells and growth cones extend lamellipodial and filopodial protrusions that are required for outgrowth and guidance. The mechanisms of cytoskeletal regulation that underlie cell and growth cone migration are of much interest to developmental biologists. Previous studies have shown that the Arp2/3 complex and UNC-115/abLIM act redundantly to mediate growth cone lamellipodia and filopod...

A POU Domain Transcription Factor–Dependent Program Regulates Axon Pathfinding in the Vertebrate Visual System

Axon pathfinding relies on the ability of the growth cone to detect and interpret guidance cues and to modulate cytoskeletal changes in response to these signals. We report that the murine POU domain transcription factor Brn-3.2 regulates pathfinding in retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons at multiple points along their pathways and the establishment of topographic order in the superior colliculus...

Axon pathfinding proceeds normally despite disrupted growth cone decisions at CNS midline Brian

Growth cone pathfinding and filopodial dynamics are mediated separately by Cdc42 activation.

Although evidence exists that activation of the Rho family GTPase Cdc42 affects axonal development, its specific roles within a growth cone are not well delineated. To evaluate the model that Cdc42 activation regulates growth cone navigation by promoting filopodial activity, we adopted a live analysis strategy that uses transgenic Drosophila lines in which neurons coexpressed constitutively act...