PMID: 9527831Apr 4, 1998Paper

Axon guidance: stretching gradients to the limit

Neural Computation
Geoffrey J Goodhill, H Baier

Abstract

Neuronal growth cones, the sensory-motile structures at the tips of developing axons, navigate to their targets over distances that can be many times greater than their diameter. They may accomplish this impressive task by following spatial gradients of axon guidance molecules in their environment (Bonhoeffer & Gierer, 1984; Tessier-Lavigne & Placzek, 1991; Baier & Bonhoeffer, 1994). We calculate the optimal shape of a gradient and the distance over which it can be detected by a growth cone for two competing mechanistic models of axon guidance. The results are surprisingly simple: Regardless of the mechanism, the maximum distance is about 1 cm. Since gradients and growth cones have coevolved, we suggest that the shape of the gradient in situ will predict the mechanism of gradient detection. In addition, we show that the experimentally determined dissociation constants for receptor-ligand complexes implicated in axon guidance are about optimal with respect to maximizing guidance distance. The relevance of these results to the retinotectal system is discussed.

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Citations

Apr 9, 2008·Annals of Biomedical Engineering·Grace N LiDiane Hoffman-Kim
Jan 6, 2012·Annals of Biomedical Engineering·Aleesha M McCormick, Nic D Leipzig
Jun 26, 1998·Trends in Neurosciences·G J Goodhill
Jan 21, 2012·Nature Protocols·Vanessa Gil, José Antonio del Río
Jan 13, 2010·Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology·Robert A Arkowitz
Jul 19, 2005·Annual Review of Neuroscience·Todd McLaughlin, Dennis D M O'Leary
Nov 26, 2010·Neural Computation·Duncan MortimerGeoffrey J Goodhill
Dec 17, 2009·PLoS Computational Biology·Keith B GodfreyNicholas V Swindale
May 9, 2012·PloS One·Jonathan M BélisleSantiago Costantino
Jul 3, 2010·Science China. Life Sciences·XiaoBing Yuan
Jun 19, 2015·Scientific Reports·Iolanda Morana RoccasalvoPier Nicola Sergi
Jan 27, 2007·Journal of Neurochemistry·Gabriele Loers, Melitta Schachner
Oct 23, 2008·Developmental Dynamics : an Official Publication of the American Association of Anatomists·T ClaudepierreM Reber
Jul 12, 2005·Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering·Susan Maskery, Troy Shinbrot
Nov 4, 2016·Scientific Reports·Honda NaokiShin Ishii
Oct 8, 1999·Journal of Neurobiology·G J Goodhill, J S Urbach
Oct 25, 2006·Bulletin of Mathematical Biology·Johannes K Krottje, Arjen van Ooyen
Dec 21, 2007·Lab on a Chip·Thomas M Keenan, Albert Folch
Apr 6, 2018·Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience·Elise Savier, Michael Reber
Nov 16, 2013·Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics·Daniel J RizzoCristian Staii
Dec 12, 2019·ACS Chemical Neuroscience·Anusha DravidDarren Svirskis
Mar 7, 2003·Development·Christine WeinlJürgen Löschinger

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Axon guidance is a complex neural developmental field that investigates mechanisms through which neurons send out axons to reach its target. Here is the latest research in this domain.