Semaphorin3A/neuropilin-1 signaling acts as a molecular switch regulating neural crest migration during cornea development.

ABSTRACT: Cranial neural crest cells migrate into the periocular region and later contribute to various ocular tissues including the cornea, ciliary body and iris. After reaching the eye, they initially pause before migrating over the lens to form the cornea. Interestingly, removal of the lens leads to premature invasion and abnormal differentiation of the cornea. In exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying this effect, we find that semaphorin3A (Sema3A) is expressed in the lens placode and epithelium continuously throughout eye development. Interestingly, neuropilin-1 (Npn-1) is expressed by periocular neural crest but down-regulated, in a manner independent of the lens, by the subpopulation that migrates into the eye and gives rise to the cornea endothelium and stroma. In contrast, Npn-1 expr

SUBMITTER: Lwigale PY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2800376 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature