A new chemotaxis assay shows the extreme sensitivity of axons to molecular gradients

Axonal chemotaxis is believed to be important in wiring up the developing and regenerating nervous system, but little is known about how axons actually respond to molecular gradients. We report a new quantitative assay that allows the long-term response of axons to gradients of known and controllabl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inNature neuroscience Vol. 7; no. 6; pp. 678 - 682
Main Authors Goodhill, Geoffrey J, Rosoff, William J, Urbach, Jeffrey S, Esrick, Mark A, McAllister, Ryan G, Richards, Linda J
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Nature Publishing Group 01.06.2004
Subjects
Animals
Axonal Transport - physiology
Axons
Axons - physiology
Chemotaxis
Chemotaxis - physiology
Collagen
Cones (Photoreceptors)
Ganglia, Spinal - cytology
Ganglia, Spinal - physiology
Growth Cones - physiology
Ligands
Measurement
Neurosciences
Physiological aspects
Rats
United States
United States > US
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Summary:Axonal chemotaxis is believed to be important in wiring up the developing and regenerating nervous system, but little is known about how axons actually respond to molecular gradients. We report a new quantitative assay that allows the long-term response of axons to gradients of known and controllable shape to be examined in a three-dimensional gel. Using this assay, we show that axons may be nature's most-sensitive gradient detectors, but this sensitivity exists only within a narrow range of ligand concentrations. This assay should also be applicable to other biological processes that are controlled by molecular gradients, such as cell migration and morphogenesis.
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ISSN:1097-6256
1546-1726
DOI:10.1038/nn1259