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β-catenin in reverse action

Motor neurons and muscle fibers interact in complex ways to build the neuromuscular synapse. A new study shows that β-catenin is required in muscle to provide an unknown retrograde signal that is necessary for presynaptic transmitter release.

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Figure 1: β-catenin in muscle regulates pre- and postsynaptic differentiation of developing NMJs.

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Fu, A., Cheung, Z. & Ip, N. β-catenin in reverse action. Nat Neurosci 11, 244–246 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn0308-244

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