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A bioinformatic and in situ screen for novel axon guidance molecules

A bioinformatic and in situ screen for novel axon guidance molecules

Alsbury, Samantha, Okafuji, Tatsuya, Mitchell, Kevin J. and Tear, Guy (2009) A bioinformatic and in situ screen for novel axon guidance molecules. In: Mechanisms of Development. Elsevier Ireland Ltd, S192-S192. ISSN 0925-4773 (doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mod.2009.06.466)

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Abstract

Previous screens for axon guidance molecules have identified that many of the molecular cues and their axonal receptors fall into a few major classes that are conserved from invertebrates to vertebrates. While it has been speculated that the majority of axon guidance molecules have already been discovered it seems likely that many such molecules would have been missed due to experimental biases in the genetic or biochemical methods used to identify them. Additionally it seems unlikely that sufficient molecules have been identified to encode the complete wiring of the embryonic nervous system. In order to identify further axon guidance molecules we have taken a systematic bioinformatic approach to identify novel transmembrane proteins that contain any of a number of motifs previously found in known axon guidance molecules. These axon guidance motifs include, for example, immunoglobulin (Ig) motifs, fibronectin-type III (FN3) motifs, leucine-rich repeats (LRR) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) repeats amongst others. This screen has identified 162 genes in Drosophila that fulfil these criteria and their expression patterns were subsequently determined by in situ hybridization.
This study yielded 41 candidate axon guidance molecules that show neural expression in the embryo during the period of axon extension. These include 9 genes that appear to have orthologues in vertebrates including the CG32635/Neto and Ten/Odz families. We are now carrying out functional analyses to assess the involvement of these genes in axon guidance in the embryo.

Item Type: Conference Proceedings
Title of Proceedings: Mechanisms of Development
Additional Information: [1] Abstract of poster 12-P012 presented at 16th International Society of Developmental Biologists Congress, 6-10 September 2009. Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. [2] Publication formerly known as Cell Differentiation and Development [3] Publication is the official journal of the International Society of Developmental Biologists
Uncontrolled Keywords: axon guidance, developmental biology, drosophila, neuroscience, genetics
Subjects: Q Science > QH Natural history > QH301 Biology
Q Science > QH Natural history > QH426 Genetics
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group: Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > School of Human Sciences (HUM)
Related URLs:
Last Modified: 09 Oct 2021 04:46
URI: http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/8492

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