Intermediate targets in formation of topographic projections: inputs from the thalamocortical system

Trends Neurosci. 2004 Sep;27(9):533-9. doi: 10.1016/j.tins.2004.06.014.

Abstract

Topography of axonal projections has been generally thought to arise from positional information located within the projecting and targeted structures, independent of events along the path or within the axonal bundle. Recent evidence suggests that in the projection from the dorsal thalamus to the neocortex, initial rostrocaudal targeting of axons is regulated at the level of an intermediate target, the subcortical telencephalon. In this system, thalamic axons are spatially positioned within the subcortical telencephalon, partly via interactions between EphAs and ephrin-As, and this positioning apparently determines the rostrocaudal level of the neocortex that the axons will initially target.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Axons / physiology*
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
  • Brain Mapping*
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Carrier Proteins / physiology
  • Cerebral Cortex / anatomy & histology*
  • Cerebral Cortex / embryology
  • Growth Cones
  • Homeodomain Proteins / physiology
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Mutant Strains
  • Models, Neurological
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / physiology
  • Neural Pathways / anatomy & histology*
  • Neural Pathways / embryology
  • Receptors, Eph Family / physiology
  • Thalamus / anatomy & histology*
  • Thalamus / embryology
  • Transcription Factors / deficiency
  • Transcription Factors / physiology

Substances

  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Distal-less homeobox proteins
  • Homeodomain Proteins
  • NEUROG2 protein, human
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Neurog2 protein, mouse
  • Transcription Factors
  • Receptors, Eph Family