What does the developing brain tell us about neural diseases?Esther T Stoeckli
Institute of Molecular Life Sciences and Neuroscience, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Eur J Neurosci 35:1811-7. 2012
..The processes and genes involved in brain development are linked to the etiologies not only of neurodevelopmental but also of neurodegenerative diseases...
Rostral growth of commissural axons requires the cell adhesion molecule MDGA2Pascal Joset
Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, Department of Biology, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
Neural Dev 6:22. 2011
..However, little is known about molecules that provide the basis for commissural axon growth along the anterior-posterior axis...
- Neural circuit formation in the cerebellum is controlled by cell adhesion molecules of the Contactin family
Esther T Stoeckli
University of Zurich, Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, Zurich, Switzerland
Cell Adh Migr 4:523-6. 2010
..Contactins are required for axon guidance, fasciculation, and synaptogenesis, and thus affect multiple steps in neural circuit formation in the developing cerebellum...
- Sonic hedgehog guides post-crossing commissural axons both directly and indirectly by regulating Wnt activity
Elena Domanitskaya
Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
J Neurosci 30:11167-76. 2010
..Thus, Shh affects post-crossing axon guidance both directly and indirectly by regulating Wnt function...
- Nectin-like molecules/SynCAMs are required for post-crossing commissural axon guidance
Vera Niederkofler
Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
Development 137:427-35. 2010
..It is expressed by floorplate cells and interacts with Necls/SynCAMs expressed by commissural axons to mediate a turning response in post-crossing commissural axons...
- Semaphorin6A acts as a gate keeper between the central and the peripheral nervous system
Olivier Mauti
Developmental Neuroscience, Institute of Zoology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
Neural Dev 2:28. 2007
..Based on its very restricted expression in boundary cap cells, we tested for a role of Sema6A as a gate keeper between the CNS and the PNS...
- Cell type specific, traceable gene silencing for functional gene analysis during vertebrate neural development
Nicole H Wilson
Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
Nucleic Acids Res 39:e133. 2011
..The advancements of the in ovo RNAi technique that we describe will not only markedly enhance functional gene analysis in the chicken, but also could be adapted to other organisms in developmental studies...
- Sonic Hedgehog regulates Wnt activity during neural circuit formation
Nicole H Wilson
Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Vitam Horm 88:173-209. 2012
..This review provides an overview of the mechanisms by which Shh signaling acts in concert with Wnts to mediate a myriad of cellular processes that are required for neural circuit formation...
- Neuronal Nogo-A regulates neurite fasciculation, branching and extension in the developing nervous system
Marija M Petrinovic
Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich and Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
Development 137:2539-50. 2010
..Thus, Nogo-A is a developmental neurite growth regulatory factor with a role as a negative regulator of axon-axon adhesion and growth, and as a facilitator of neurite branching...
- Gene Silencing by Injection and Electroporation of dsRNA in Avian Embryos
Olivier Mauti
Institute of Zoology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
CSH Protoc 2008:pdb.prot5094. 2008
..Proteins with slow turnover may require RNAi at earlier stages, ideally before the onset of gene expression. The electroporation parameters can be adjusted such that only a specific population of neurons is targeted in the spinal cord...
- RabGDI controls axonal midline crossing by regulating Robo1 surface expression
Melanie Philipp
Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, CH 8057, Switzerland
Neural Dev 7:36. 2012
..Interestingly, to date no vertebrate homolog of comm has been identified. Robo3/Rig1 has been shown to control Slit sensitivity before the midline, but without affecting Robo1 surface expression...
- Axonin-1/TAG-1 is required for pathfinding of granule cell axons in the developing cerebellum
Thomas Baeriswyl
Institute of Zoology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
Neural Dev 3:7. 2008
..Axonin-1/TAG-1 was shown to promote neurite outgrowth in vitro and to be required for commissural and sensory axon pathfinding in vivo...
