Ke. Stone et Ds. Sakaguchi, PERTURBATION OF THE DEVELOPING XENOPUS RETINOTECTAL PROJECTION FOLLOWING INJECTIONS OF ANTIBODIES AGAINST BETA(1) INTEGRIN RECEPTORS AND N-CADHERIN, Developmental biology, 180(1), 1996, pp. 297-310
We have examined the function of beta(1) integrin receptors and N-cadh
erin in the development of the Xenopus retinotectal projection. In viv
o perturbation experiments were performed by injecting antibodies dire
cted against beta(1) integrin receptors and N-cadherin into the embryo
nic optic pathway. The antibodies were present during the initial deve
lopment of the retinal projection, when the axons of the ganglion cell
s are migrating through the optic tract and terminating within the opt
ic tectum. When injected individually, the antibodies were insufficien
t to cause obvious pathfinding errors. However, when injected together
, the antibodies caused specific abnormalities in the development of t
he retinotectal projection. Pathfinding errors most commonly observed
included ectopically projecting axons within the optic tract region, m
eandering and splaying of axons in the optic tectum, and the induction
of prominent ipsilateral projections. IgGs and Fab' fragments of the
antibodies produced pathfinding errors; these defects were not observe
d in animals injected with control antibodies. These in vivo results s
how that pi integrin receptors and N-cadherin have important roles dur
ing the development of the visual projection and provide evidence that
a balance between cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion may be critical
for the normal development of the vertebrate visual system. (C) 1996 A
cademic Press, Inc.