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  • The EMBO Journal (1997) 16, 1258 - 1267
  • doi:10.1093/emboj/16.6.1258

Shared and distinct functions of RAGS and ELF-1 in guiding retinal axons

Bruno Monschau1,5, Claus Kremoser1,5, Kunimasa Ohta2, Hideaki Tanaka2, Tomomi Kaneko2, Tomoko Yamada2, Claudia Handwerker1, Martin R. Hornberger1, Jürgen Löschinger1, Elena B. Pasquale3, Doyle A. Siever4, Michael F. Verderame4, Bernhard K. Müller1, Friedrich Bonhoeffer1 and Uwe Drescher1

  1. Department of Physical Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Spemannstrasse 35/I, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
  2. Division of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Neuroscience and Immunology, Kumamoto University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kuhonji, Kumamoto 862, Japan
  3. The Burnham Institute, 10901 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037 USA
  4. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
  5. B.Monschau and C.Kremoser contributed equally to this work

Received 24 July 1996; Revised 13 October 1996

Two ligands for Eph-related receptor tyrosine kinases, RAGS and ELF-1, have been implicated in the control of development of the retinotectal projection. Both molecules are expressed in overlapping gradients in the tectum, the target area of retinal ganglion cell axons. In two in vitro assays ELF-1 is shown to have a repellent axon guidance function for temporal, but apparently not for nasal axons. RAGS on the other hand is repellent for both types of axons, though to different degrees. Thus, RAGS and ELF-1 share some and differ in other properties. The biological activities of these molecules correlate with the strength of interaction with their receptors expressed on RGC axons. The meaning of these findings for guidance of retinal axons in the tectum is discussed.

  • Keywords:

    • axon guidance,
    • Eph-related RTKs and ligands,
    • gradients,
    • retinotectal projection