Liebl Daniel J, Morris Carol J, Henkemeyer Mark, Parada Luis F
The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida 33136, USA.
J Neurosci Res. 2003 Jan 1;71(1):7-22. doi: 10.1002/jnr.10457.
Ephrins and Eph receptors are a family of molecules that have been implicated in axonal pathfinding. A unique feature of B-class ephrins and Eph receptors is their ability to transmit bidirectional signals in both ephrin- and Eph receptor-expressing cells upon cell-cell contact. These signals can lead to cytoskeletal alterations that have been attributed to regulating neuronal growth responses. Examination of gene-target knockout mice has supported this hypothesis, revealing numerous developmental defects in the nervous systems of mice mutant for both B-class ephrins and Eph receptors. To examine the potential scope of action for these genes in the nervous system, we have used in situ hybridization to study the mRNA expression of ephrins (B1, B2, and B3) and Eph receptors (B1, B2, B3, A4) in neonatal and adult mice. We found ephrins and Eph receptors to be expressed throughout the CNS. Expression was observed in the epithelium and migratory regions of the neonate and adult tissues as well as in discrete regions of high plasticity, including the adult olfactory bulb, hippocampus, and cerebellum. These studies suggest additional potential roles for these molecules in the postnatal and adult CNS and will serve as a guide in the detailed evaluation of mutant mice.
Ephrin蛋白和Eph受体是一类与轴突导向有关的分子。B类Ephrin蛋白和Eph受体的一个独特特征是,在细胞间接触时,它们能够在表达Ephrin蛋白和Eph受体的细胞中传递双向信号。这些信号可导致细胞骨架改变,这被认为与调节神经元生长反应有关。对基因敲除小鼠的研究支持了这一假设,揭示了B类Ephrin蛋白和Eph受体基因敲除的小鼠神经系统存在许多发育缺陷。为了研究这些基因在神经系统中的潜在作用范围,我们利用原位杂交技术研究了新生小鼠和成年小鼠中Ephrin蛋白(B1、B2和B3)和Eph受体(B1、B2、B3、A4)的mRNA表达。我们发现Ephrin蛋白和Eph受体在整个中枢神经系统中均有表达。在新生和成年组织的上皮和迁移区域以及高可塑性的离散区域,包括成年嗅球、海马体和小脑中均观察到了表达。这些研究表明这些分子在出生后和成年中枢神经系统中具有其他潜在作用,并将为详细评估突变小鼠提供指导。