Nerve repulsion by the lens and cornea during cornea innervation is dependent on Robo-Slit signaling and diminishes with neuron age.

ABSTRACT: The cornea, the most densely innervated tissue on the surface of the body, becomes innervated in a series of highly coordinated developmental events. During cornea development, chick trigeminal nerve growth cones reach the cornea margin at embryonic day (E)5, where they are initially repelled for days from E5 to E8, instead encircling the corneal periphery in a nerve ring prior to entering on E9. The molecular events coordinating growth cone guidance during cornea development are poorly understood. Here we evaluated a potential role for the Robo-Slit nerve guidance family. We found that Slits 1, 2 and 3 expression in the cornea and lens persisted during all stages of cornea innervation examined. Robo1 expression was developmentally regulated in trigeminal cell bodies, expressed robustly du

SUBMITTER: Schwend T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3288411 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature