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Nell2 regulates the contralateral-versus-ipsilateral visual projection as a domain-specific positional cue
Chizu Nakamoto1, Elaine Durward1, Masato Horie2
1Aberdeen Developmental Biology Group, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK.
Development (Cambridge, England)
|February 13, 2019
Summary
Neural epidermal growth factor-like-like 2 (Nell2) guides retinal axons in mammals. Nell2 expression in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) ensures correct eye-specific connections, crucial for vision.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Mammalian binocular vision relies on precise eye-specific projections of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons to the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN).
- The molecular mechanisms guiding these axons to form distinct contralateral and ipsilateral domains remain largely unknown.
- Understanding these cues is vital for comprehending stereopsis development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify molecular cues responsible for establishing eye-specific retinogeniculate projections.
- To investigate the role of Nell2 in guiding RGC axons within the dLGN.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of Nell2 expression patterns in the dLGN.
- Generation and analysis of Nell2 mutant mice to observe RGC axon targeting.
- In vitro experiments to assess the effect of Nell2 on RGC axon growth.
Main Results:
- Nell2 is localized to the ipsilateral RGC axon termination zone in the dLGN.
- Nell2 mutant mice exhibit aberrant contralateral RGC axon invasion and fragmented ipsilateral axon termination.
- In vitro studies demonstrate Nell2 inhibits contralateral RGC axon growth but not ipsilateral.
Conclusions:
- Nell2 functions as a key positional label in the dLGN, discriminating between contralateral and ipsilateral RGC axons.
- Nell2 is essential for the proper formation of eye-specific retinogeniculate projections.
- This finding advances our understanding of neural circuit development and visual processing.
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