Patterning of cortical efferent projections by semaphorin-neuropilin interactions

Cortical neurons communicate with various cortical and subcortical targets by way of stereotyped axon projections through the white matter. Slice overlay experiments indicate that the initial growth of cortical axons toward the white matter is regulated by a diffusible chemorepulsive signal localized near the marginal zone. Semaphorin III is a major component of this diffusible signal, and cortical neurons transduce this signal by way of the neuropilin-1 receptor. These observations indicate that semaphorin-neuropilin interactions play a critical role in the initial patterning of projections in the developing cortex.