Netrin-1 Derived from the Ventricular Zone, but not the Floor Plate, Directs Hindbrain Commissural Axons to the Ventral Midline.

ABSTRACT: Netrin-1 (Ntn1) emanating from the ventral midline has been thought to act as a long-range diffusible chemoattractant for commissural axons (CAs). However, CAs still grow towards the midline in the absence of the floor plate (FP), a glial structure occupying the midline. Here, using genetically loss-of-function approaches in mice, we show that Ntn1 derived from the ventricular zone (VZ), but not the FP, is crucial for CA guidance in the mouse hindbrain. During the period of CA growth, Ntn1 is expressed in the ventral two-thirds of the VZ, in addition to the FP. Remarkably, deletion of Ntn1 from the VZ and even from the dorsal VZ highly disrupts CA guidance to the midline, whereas the deletion from the FP has little impact on it. We also show that the severities of CA guidance defects found

SUBMITTER: Yamauchi K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5607380 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature