University of Sussex
Browse
830.full.pdf (5.17 MB)

The assembly of developing motor neurons depends on an interplay between spontaneous activity, type II cadherins and gap junctions

Download (5.17 MB)
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 08:29 authored by Karli Montague, Andrew S Lowe, Ana Uzquiano, Athene Knüfer, Marc Astick, Stephen R Price, Sarah GuthrieSarah Guthrie
A core structural and functional motif of the vertebrate central nervous system is discrete clusters of neurons or ‘nuclei’. Yet the developmental mechanisms underlying this fundamental mode of organisation are largely unknown. We have previously shown that the assembly of motor neurons into nuclei depends on cadherin-mediated adhesion. Here, we demonstrate that the emergence of mature topography among motor nuclei involves a novel interplay between spontaneous activity, cadherin expression and gap junction communication. We report that nuclei display spontaneous calcium transients, and that changes in the activity patterns coincide with the course of nucleogenesis. We also find that these activity patterns are disrupted by manipulating cadherin or gap junction expression. Furthermore, inhibition of activity disrupts nucleogenesis, suggesting that activity feeds back to maintain integrity among motor neurons within a nucleus. Our study suggests that a network of interactions between cadherins, gap junctions and spontaneous activity governs neuron assembly, presaging circuit formation.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Development

ISSN

0950-1991

Publisher

The company of biologists

Issue

5

Volume

144

Page range

830-836

Department affiliated with

  • Neuroscience Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2017-10-27

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2018-02-28

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2017-10-27

Usage metrics

    University of Sussex (Publications)

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC