Signaling Molecules Found that Direct Axon Growth
By Biotechdaily staff writers
Posted on 02 Apr 2003
A study has found that during brain development in Drosophila, the direction in which nerve cells grow, called commissure choice, is controlled by Derailed, an atypical receptor tyrosine kinase expressed on axons projecting in the anterior commissure. The study was published March 16, 2003, in the online edition of Nature.Posted on 02 Apr 2003
Investigators from the Salk Institute (La Jolla, CA, USA) found that a protein called Wnt5, a member of a large family of signaling molecules, became bound to a receptor called Derailed that is present on the surface of growing nerve cells.
In nervous systems with bilateral symmetry, many neurons project axons across the midline to the opposite side. The current study revealed an unexpected role in axon guidance for a Wnt family member and showed that the Derailed receptor is an essential component of Wnt signalling in these guidance events.
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