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Cell adhesion is one of the most important properties controlling
embryonic development. Extremely precise cell-cell contacts are
established according to the nature of adhesion molecules that are
expressed on the cell surface. The identifica tion of several
families of adhesion molecules, well conserved throughout evolu
tion, has been the basis of a considerable amount of work over the
past 20 years that contributed to establish functions of cell
adhesion in almost all organs. Nowadays, cell adhesion molecules
are not just considered as cellular glue but are thought to play
critical roles in cell signaling. Their ability to influence cell
proliferation, mi gration, or differentiation depends on both cell
surface adhesion properties and acti vation of intracellular
pathways. The next challenge will be to understand how these
molecules interact with each other to ensure specific functions in
the morphogen esis of very sophisticated systems. Indeed, by
exploring the cellular and molecular mechanisms of nervous system
development, the group of H. Fujisawa in Japan identified in 1987
an adhesion molecule, neuropilin, highly expressed in the neuro
pile of amphibian optic tectum. Ten years later, two groups
discovered that neuropilin is a receptor for guidance signals of
the semaphorin family. Axon guidance is a critical step during
brain development and the mechanisms ensuring growth cone
navigation are beginning to be well understood. The semaphorins are
bifunctional signals defining permissive or inhibitory pathways
sensed by the growth cone.
Cell adhesion is one of the most important properties controlling
embryonic development. Extremely precise cell-cell contacts are
established according to the nature of adhesion molecules that are
expressed on the cell surface. The identifica tion of several
families of adhesion molecules, well conserved throughout evolu
tion, has been the basis of a considerable amount of work over the
past 20 years that contributed to establish functions of cell
adhesion in almost all organs. Nowadays, cell adhesion molecules
are not just considered as cellular glue but are thought to play
critical roles in cell signaling. Their ability to influence cell
proliferation, mi gration, or differentiation depends on both cell
surface adhesion properties and acti vation of intracellular
pathways. The next challenge will be to understand how these
molecules interact with each other to ensure specific functions in
the morphogen esis of very sophisticated systems. Indeed, by
exploring the cellular and molecular mechanisms of nervous system
development, the group of H. Fujisawa in Japan identified in 1987
an adhesion molecule, neuropilin, highly expressed in the neuro
pile of amphibian optic tectum. Ten years later, two groups
discovered that neuropilin is a receptor for guidance signals of
the semaphorin family. Axon guidance is a critical step during
brain development and the mechanisms ensuring growth cone
navigation are beginning to be well understood. The semaphorins are
bifunctional signals defining permissive or inhibitory pathways
sensed by the growth cone.
This book proposes an updated view of the current knowledge of
the molecular and cellular mechanisms ensuring axon growth and
guidance. The introductory chapter will remind the readers of all
the features of a growth cone and the mechanisms controlling its
growth. From there, one enters a fabulous journey with a growth
cone, a Tom Thumb story filled with molecular encounters and
complex interactions leading to one of the most fantastic
developmental achievements: the nervous system wiring. The journey
starts with a description of the classical guidance signals such as
the netrins, the semaphorins, the ephrins or the Slit family. The
question of the exact definition of a guidance signal is addressed
in a chapter which discusses whether neurotrophic factors can be
considered as guidance cues. This complex question is also
considered in a chapter presenting the role of adhesion molecules
during axon guidance and the report of compelling evidence for a
guidance effect of neurotransmitters. The diversity of the
molecular cues used by growth cones to reach their targets is
finally illustrated in a chapter describing the unexpected role of
morphogenes as direct guidance signals.
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