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Ephrin Bs and canonical Reelin signalling

Nature volume 539, pages E4–E6 (2016)Cite this article

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ARISING FROM A. Sentürk, S. Pfennig, A. Weiss, K. Burk, & A. Acker-Palmer Nature 472, 356–360 (2011); doi:10.1038/nature09874

During cortical development, cell–cell interactions between ephrin receptors and ephrin B ligands are important for neuronal migration, axonal and dendritic growth, synaptogenesis, and pruning1. Deficiency in Reelin (Reln) disrupts radial pyramidal neuron migration and results in cortical layer malformation1. Recently, Sentürk et al. claimed that EphB receptor–ephrin B ligand (EphB–Efnb) and Reln pathways interact genetically and that layering defects in triple Efnb1;2;3−/− mutants and Efnb3−/−;Reln+/− compound mice are similar to those present in reeler mice2. Here we demonstrate that, contrary to this previous report, neither the compound mutant Efnb3−/−;Reln+/− nor the triple-mutant Efnb1;2;3−/− show defects of cortical layering or elevated Dab1 levels. Although protein–protein interactions between Efnb ligands and Reln have been confirmed, they do not affect the radial positioning of migrating neocortical pyramidal neurons. There is a Reply to this Comment by Sentürk, A. et al. Nature 539, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature20130 (2016).

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Figure 1: Efnb ligands are not essential for Reln-guided radial pyramidal neuron migration.
Figure 2: Efnb3−/−;Reln+/− mice lack typical features of reeler mice such as over-migration of pyramidal neurons and elevated Dab1 levels.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, 75390, Texas, USA

    Theresa Pohlkamp & Joachim Herz

  2. Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, 75390, Texas, USA

    Lei Xiao, Rukhsana Sultana, Asim Bepari, Mark Henkemeyer & Joachim Herz

  3. Department of Developmental Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, 75390, Texas, USA

    Hans H. Bock

  4. Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, 40225, Germany

    Joachim Herz

  5. Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, 75390, Texas, USA

    Lei Xiao, Rukhsana Sultana, Asim Bepari & Mark Henkemeyer

  6. Center for Translational Neurodegeneration Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, 75390, Texas, USA

    Joachim Herz

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Contributions

T.P., L.X., R.S. and A.B. performed experiments. H.H.B., M.H. and J.H. designed the experiments. T.P. and J.H. wrote the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Joachim Herz.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Pohlkamp, T., Xiao, L., Sultana, R. et al. Ephrin Bs and canonical Reelin signalling. Nature 539, E4–E6 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature20129

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