A central issue in developmental neurobiology is determining how neurons find their appropriate targets. Recently, it has become clear that neuronal growth cones respond to guidance cues that are both attractive and inhibitory, and that precise axon pathfinding, target recognition, and synapse formation result from a balance of these cues. The focus of the experiments described in this proposal is to elucidate the function during neurodevelopment of the Semaphorins: a family of growth cone guidance molecules, conserved from insects to mammals, which is implicated in inhibitory guidance. Understanding the molecular basis of inhibitory neuronal guidance is likely to be clinically important for therapeutic strategies directed toward addressing problems of nerve regeneration, neurodegeneration, and neuronal developmental disorders. To address how Semaphorins mediate neuronal growth cone guidance during development, we will utilize complementary approaches afforded by analysis in both invertebrates and vertebrates. To learn how Semaphorins function at the cellular level in vivo, we will analyze loss and gain-of- function mutations in the genes that encode Drosophila Semaphorins. We will investigate the function during neurodevelopment of discrete domains found in members of the Semaphorin gene family by undertaking a molecular dissection of insect and vertebrate Semaphorins. We will construct altered Semaphorins and test their function in vivo in Drosophila and in a vertebrate embryonic neuronal cell culture system. This analysis will also include a functional dissection of the phylogenetically conserved Semaphorin domain itself. To identify Semaphorin receptors and downstream signaling components, we will initiate genetic strategies in Drosophila. These studies will lead to an understanding at the molecular level of how Semaphorins help mediate the processes of axon pathfinding, target recognition, and synapse formation. These experiments should also identify phylogenetically conserved principles of Semaphorin function and should provide insight into the molecular mechanisms of inhibitory neuronal growth cone guidance.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01NS035165-03
Application #
2685733
Study Section
Neurology C Study Section (NEUC)
Program Officer
Small, Judy A
Project Start
1996-05-01
Project End
2000-03-31
Budget Start
1998-04-01
Budget End
1999-03-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
1998
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Johns Hopkins University
Department
Neurosciences
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
045911138
City
Baltimore
State
MD
Country
United States
Zip Code
21218
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Cho, Joong Youn; Chak, Kayam; Andreone, Benjamin J et al. (2012) The extracellular matrix proteoglycan perlecan facilitates transmembrane semaphorin-mediated repulsive guidance. Genes Dev 26:2222-35
Jeong, Sangyun; Juhaszova, Katarina; Kolodkin, Alex L (2012) The Control of semaphorin-1a-mediated reverse signaling by opposing pebble and RhoGAPp190 functions in drosophila. Neuron 76:721-34
Wu, Zhuhao; Andreone, Benjamin J; Kolodkin, Alex L (2012) The coordinate regulation of sensory afferent CNS targeting and CNS longitudinal tract organization in Drosophila during neural development. J Peripher Nerv Syst 17 Suppl 3:34-7
Lloyd, Thomas E; Machamer, James; O'Hara, Kathleen et al. (2012) The p150(Glued) CAP-Gly domain regulates initiation of retrograde transport at synaptic termini. Neuron 74:344-60

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