Mirror movements (MM) disorder is characterized by involuntary movements on one side of the body that mirror intentional movements on the opposite side. We performed genetic characterization of a family with autosomal dominant MM and identified , a RhoGEF, as a candidate MM gene. We found that Arhgef7 and its partner Git1 bind directly to Dcc.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn important model for axon pathfinding is provided by guidance of embryonic commissural axons from dorsal spinal cord to ventral midline floor plate (FP). FP cells produce a chemoattractive activity, comprised largely of netrin1 (FP-netrin1) and Sonic hedgehog (Shh), that can attract the axons at a distance in vitro. netrin1 is also produced by ventricular zone (VZ) progenitors along the axons' route (VZ-netrin1).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the developing spinal cord, Sonic hedgehog (Shh) attracts commissural axons toward the floorplate. How Shh regulates the cytoskeletal remodeling that underlies growth cone turning is unknown. We found that Shh-mediated growth cone turning requires the activity of Docks, which are unconventional GEFs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProper function of the neural network results from the precise connections between axons and dendrites of presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons, respectively. In the olfactory system, the dendrites of projection neurons (PNs) stereotypically target one of ∼50 glomeruli in the antennal lobe (AL), the primary olfactory center in the brain, and form synapses with the axons of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). Here, we show that Eph and Ephrin, the well-known axon guidance molecules, instruct the dendrodendritic segregation during the discrete olfactory map formation.
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