First published online March 15, 2004
Development 131, 702e (2004)
© The Company of Biologists Limited
Cue Zic3: axonal guidance in the retina
During the development of the retina, ganglion cell axons project towards
the optic disc, a central opening in the retina through which the axons exit
to form the optic nerve. But what guides the axons to the optic disc?
According to Zhang and colleagues, the zinc-finger transcription factor Zic3
helps to pattern the chick retina for intraretinal axon guidance (see
p. 1553). The
researchers show that Zic3 expression is high at the periphery of the
retina and low at the centre during active axon extension. Disruption of this
gradient by retroviral overexpression of Zic3 results in aberrant axon
projection but does not affect retinal neurogenesis or differentiation.
Finally, the pattern of axonal growth over a `carpet' formed in vitro from
alternating stripes of membrane fragments taken from the centre and the
periphery of the retina suggests that Zic3 upregulates the expression of a
negative axon guidance cue.
Related articles in Development:
- Disruption of gradient expression of Zic3 resulted in abnormal intra-retinal axon projection
- Jinhua Zhang, Zhe Jin, and Zheng-Zheng Bao
Development 2004 131: 1553-1562.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
