Axon guidance pathways and the control of gene expression

Axons need to be properly guided to their targets to form synaptic connections, and this requires interactions between highly conserved extracellular and transmembrane ligands and their cell surface receptors.

 

Understanding the mechanisms by which axon guidance signaling regulates local translation and transcription will create a more complete picture of neural circuit formation, and they may be applied more broadly to other tissues where axon guidance ligands and receptors are required for morphogenesis.

 

The precise establishment of neural circuits during development is essential for coordinated animal behavior.

 

Continuing research into the mechanisms by which axon guidance signaling pathways regulate transcription and local translation will provide a more thorough understanding of axon guidance, synaptogenesis, and, ultimately, neural circuit formation. Clearly, precise regulation of axon guidance requires more than cytoskeletal rearrangements, and a better understanding of how axon guidance cues and receptors regulate gene expression will be informative for elucidating these processes. Axon guidance cues and receptors are also expressed in tissues outside of the nervous system in normal development, as well as in cancer cells. Understanding how axon guidance pathways signal to control gene expression will also more broadly provide insight into developmental processes and disease states, and may suggest new therapeutic strategies.