 |
Previous Article | Next Article 
The Journal of Neuroscience, August 1, 1998, 18(15):5692-5705
Retinal Ganglion Cell Axon Progression from the Optic Chiasm to
Initiate Optic Tract Development Requires Cell Autonomous Function of
GAP-43
Kelly
Kruger,
Angie S.
Tam,
Cynthia
Lu, and
David W.
Sretavan
Departments of Ophthalmology and Physiology, University of
California, San Francisco, California 94143
Pathfinding mechanisms underlying retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axon
growth from the optic chiasm into the optic tract are unknown. Previous
work has shown that mouse embryos deficient in GAP-43 have an enlarged
optic chiasm within which RGC axons were reportedly stalled. Here we
have found that the enlarged chiasm of GAP-43 null mouse embryos
appears subsequent to a failure of the earliest RGC axons to progress
laterally through the chiasm-tract transition zone to form the optic
tract. Previous work has shown that ventral diencephalon
CD44/stage-specific embryonic antigen (SSEA) neurons provide
guidance information for RGC axons during chiasm formation. Here we
found that in the chiasm-tract transition zone, axons of CD44/SSEA
neurons precede RGC axons into the lateral diencephalic wall and like
RGC axons also express GAP-43. However unlike RGC axons, CD44/SSEA axon
trajectories are unaffected in GAP-43 null embryos, indicating that
GAP-43-dependent guidance at this site is RGC axon specific or occurs
only at specific developmental times. To determine whether the
phenotype results from loss of GAP-43 in RGCs or in diencephalon
components such as CD44/SSEA axons, wild-type, heterozygous, or
homozygous GAP-43 null donor retinal tissues were grafted onto host
diencephalons of all three genotypes, and graft axon growth into the
optic tract region was assessed. Results show that optic tract
development requires cell autonomous GAP-43 function in RGC axons and
not in cellular elements of the ventral diencephalon or transition
zone.
Key words:
retinal ganglion cell; axon pathfinding; optic tract; optic chiasm; GAP-43; growth cone; CD44; SSEA; mouse embryo
development; diencephalon; hypothalamus
Copyright © 1998 Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474/98/18155692-14$05.00/0
This article has been cited by other articles:

|
 |

|
 |
 
M. J. Albright, M. C. Weston, M. Inan, C. Rosenmund, and M. C. Crair
Increased Thalamocortical Synaptic Response and Decreased Layer IV Innervation in GAP-43 Knockout Mice
J Neurophysiol,
September 1, 2007;
98(3):
1610 - 1625.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
S. L. Donovan, L. A. Mamounas, A. M. Andrews, M. E. Blue, and J. S. McCasland
GAP-43 Is Critical for Normal Development of the Serotonergic Innervation in Forebrain
J. Neurosci.,
May 1, 2002;
22(9):
3543 - 3552.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
Y. Shen, S. Mani, S. L. Donovan, J. E. Schwob, and K. F. Meiri
Growth-Associated Protein-43 Is Required for Commissural Axon Guidance in the Developing Vertebrate Nervous System
J. Neurosci.,
January 1, 2002;
22(1):
239 - 247.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
X. Mu, S. Zhao, R. Pershad, T.-F. Hsieh, A. Scarpa, S. W. Wang, R. A. White, P. D. Beremand, T. L. Thomas, L. Gan, et al.
Gene expression in the developing mouse retina by EST sequencing and microarray analysis
Nucleic Acids Res.,
December 15, 2001;
29(24):
4983 - 4993.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
G. Jeffery
Architecture of the Optic Chiasm and the Mechanisms That Sculpt Its Development
Physiol Rev,
October 1, 2001;
81(4):
1393 - 1414.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
C. Fricke, J.-S. Lee, S. Geiger-Rudolph, F. Bonhoeffer, and C.-B. Chien
astray, a Zebrafish roundabout Homolog Required for Retinal Axon Guidance
Science,
April 20, 2001;
292(5516):
507 - 510.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
B. Petrausch, R. Tabibiazar, T. Roser, Y. Jing, D. Goldman, C. A. O. Stuermer, N. Irwin, and L. I. Benowitz
A Purine-Sensitive Pathway Regulates Multiple Genes Involved in Axon Regeneration in Goldfish Retinal Ganglion Cells
J. Neurosci.,
November 1, 2000;
20(21):
8031 - 8041.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
K. Chung, J. Taylor, D. Shum, and S. Chan
Axon routing at the optic chiasm after enzymatic removal of chondroitin sulfate in mouse embryos
Development,
January 6, 2000;
127(12):
2673 - 2683.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
F Zhang, C Lu, C Severin, and D. Sretavan
GAP-43 mediates retinal axon interaction with lateral diencephalon cells during optic tract formation
Development,
January 3, 2000;
127(5):
969 - 980.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
M. S. Deiner and D. W. Sretavan
Altered Midline Axon Pathways and Ectopic Neurons in the Developing Hypothalamus of Netrin-1- and DCC-Deficient Mice
J. Neurosci.,
November 15, 1999;
19(22):
9900 - 9912.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
D. L. Maier, S. Mani, S. L. Donovan, D. Soppet, L. Tessarollo, J. S. McCasland, and K. F. Meiri
Disrupted cortical map and absence of cortical barrels in growth-associated protein (GAP)-43 knockout mice
PNAS,
August 3, 1999;
96(16):
9397 - 9402.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
D. W. Sretavan and K. Kruger
Randomized Retinal Ganglion Cell Axon Routing at the Optic Chiasm of GAP-43-Deficient Mice: Association with Midline Recrossing and Lack of Normal Ipsilateral Axon Turning
J. Neurosci.,
December 15, 1998;
18(24):
10502 - 10513.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|
|