On the topographic targeting of basal vomeronasal axons through Slit-mediated chemorepulsion
2003
The vomeronasal projection conveys information provided by pheromones and
detected by neurones in the vomeronasal organ (VNO) to the accessory olfactory
bulb (AOB) and thence to other regions of the brain such as the amygdala. The
VNO-AOB projection is topographically organised such that axons from apical
and basal parts of the VNO terminate in the anterior and posterior AOB
respectively. We provide evidence that the Slit family of axon guidance molecules and
their Robo receptors contribute to the topographic targeting of basal
vomeronasal axons. Robo receptor expression is confined largely to basal VNO
axons, while Slits are differentially expressed in the AOB with a higher
concentration in the anterior part, which basal axons do not invade. Immunohistochemistry using a Robo-specific antibody reveals a zone-specific
targeting of VNO axons in the AOB well before cell bodies of these neurones in
the VNO acquire their final zonal position. In vitro assays show that
Slit1-Slit3 chemorepel VNO axons, suggesting that basal axons are guided to
the posterior AOB due to chemorepulsive activity of Slits in the anterior
AOB. These data in combination with recently obtained other data suggest a model
for the topographic targeting in the vomeronasal projection where ephrin-As
and neuropilins guide apical VNO axons, while Robo/Slit interactions are
important components in the targeting of basal VNO axons.
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