Are pioneer axons guided by regulatory gene expression domains in the zebrafish forebrain? High-resolution analysis of the patterning of the zebrafish brain during axon tract formation

Hjorth, J. T. and Key, B. (2001) Are pioneer axons guided by regulatory gene expression domains in the zebrafish forebrain? High-resolution analysis of the patterning of the zebrafish brain during axon tract formation. Developmental Biology, 229 2: 271-286.


Author Hjorth, J. T.
Key, B.
Title Are pioneer axons guided by regulatory gene expression domains in the zebrafish forebrain? High-resolution analysis of the patterning of the zebrafish brain during axon tract formation
Journal name Developmental Biology   Check publisher's open access policy
Publication date 2001
Sub-type Article
DOI 10.1006/dbio.2000.9980
Volume number 229
Issue number 2
ISSN 0012-1606
Start page 271
End page 286
Total pages 16
Editor Eric N Olsen
Place of publication San Diego
Publisher Academic Press
Collection year 2001
Language eng
Subject C1
270502 Neurobiology
780108 Behavioural and cognitive sciences
Abstract Although the principles of axon growth are well understood in vitro the mechanisms guiding axons in vivo are less clear. It has been postulated that growing axons in the vertebrate brain follow borders of neuroepithelial cells expressing specific regulatory genes. In the present study we reexamined this hypothesis by analysing the earliest growing axons in the forebrain of embryonic zebrafish. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to determine the spatiotemporal relationship between growing axons and the expression pattern of eight regulatory genes in zebrafish brain. Pioneer axons project either longitudinally or dorsoventrally to establish a scaffold of axon tracts during this developmental period. Each of the regulatory genes was expressed in stereotypical domains and the borders of some were oriented along dorsoventral and longitudinal planes. However, none of these borders clearly defined the trajectories of pioneer axons. In two cases axons coursed in proximity to the borders of shh and pax6, but only for a relatively short portion of their pathway. Only later growing axons were closely apposed to the borders of some gene expression domains. These results suggest that pioneer axons in the embryonic forebrain do not follow continuous pathways defined by the borders of regulatory gene expression domains, (C) 2000 Academic Press.
Keyword Axon Guidance
Zebrafish
Regulatory Genes
Gene Expression Borders
Neuronal Patterning
Forebrain
Developmental Biology
Embryonic Zebrafish
Neuronal Differentiation
Boundaries
Axonogenesis
Suggests
Guidance
Plate
Cns
Q-Index Code C1

Document type: Journal Article
Sub-type: Article
Collection: School of Biomedical Sciences Publications
 
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Created: Tue, 14 Aug 2007, 16:02:31 EST