RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Spatial Distributions of Guidance Molecules Regulate Chemorepulsion and Chemoattraction of Growth Cones
JF The Journal of Neuroscience
JO J. Neurosci.
FD Society for Neuroscience
SP 1030
OP 1035
DO 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.20-03-01030.2000
VO 20
IS 3
A1 Bagnard, Dominique
A1 Thomasset, Nicole
A1 Lohrum, Marion
A1 Püschel, Andreas W.
A1 Bolz, Jürgen
YR 2000
UL http://www.jneurosci.org/content/20/3/1030.abstract
AB It is generally assumed that gradients of chemotropic molecules are instrumental to the wiring of the nervous system. Recently, two members of the secreted class III semaphorin protein family have been implicated as repulsive (Sema3A) and attractive (Sema3C) guidance molecules for cortical axons (Bagnard et al., 1998). Here, we show that stabilized gradients of increasing semaphorin concentrations elicit stereotyped responses from cortical growth cones, independent of the absolute concentration and the slope of these gradients. In contrast, neither repulsive effects of Sema3A nor attractive effects of Sema3C were observed when axons were growing toward decreasing semaphorin concentrations. Thus, growth cone guidance by gradients of chemotropic molecules is robust and reproducible, because it is primarily independent of the exact dimensions of the gradients.