Nature Neuroscience 8, 1151 - 1159 (2005)
Published online: 14 August 2005; Corrected online: 14 December 2005 | doi:10.1038/nn1520
There is a Corrigendum (January 2006) associated with this Article.
Ryk-mediated Wnt repulsion regulates posterior-directed growth of corticospinal tractYaobo Liu1, Jun Shi1, Chin-Chun Lu1, Zheng-Bei Wang4, Anna I Lyuksyutova2, Xue-Jun Song4
& Yimin Zou1, 2, 31
Department of Neurobiology, Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA. 2
Committee on Developmental Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA. 3
Committee on Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA. 4
Parker College Research Institute, Dallas, Texas 75229, USA.
Correspondence should be addressed to Yimin Zou yzou@bsd.uchicago.edu Guidance cues along the longitudinal axis of the CNS are poorly understood. Wnt proteins attract ascending somatosensory axons to project from the spinal cord to the brain. Here we show that Wnt proteins repel corticospinal tract (CST) axons in the opposite direction. Several Wnt genes were found to be expressed in the mouse spinal cord gray matter, cupping the dorsal funiculus, in an anterior-to-posterior decreasing gradient along the cervical and thoracic cord. Wnts repelled CST axons in collagen gel assays through a conserved high-affinity receptor, Ryk, which is expressed in CST axons. Neonatal spinal cord secretes diffusible repellent(s) in an anterior-posterior graded fashion, with anterior cord being stronger, and the repulsive activity was blocked by antibodies to Ryk (anti-Ryk). Intrathecal injection of anti-Ryk blocked the posterior growth of CST axons. Therefore, Wnt proteins may have a general role in anterior-posterior guidance of multiple classes of axons.
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