Abstract:

Assembly, maintenance and repair of nervous systems rely on the precise coordination in the presentation of guidance signals and the correct reception and processing of these signals. During embryonic development, considerable progress has already been made in identifying the extracellular cues and the receptors mediating axonal guidance (Araújo and Tear, 2003). Axons are particularly vulnerable to injury and disease and axonal damage plays a central role in neurodegenerative disorders. Hence, full integration of axonal guidance information will help us understand how cells can combine extensive extracellular information to follow an unerring migration pathway. In addition, this understanding will yield clues on how to encourage axonal regeneration after injury or disease.