Lateral motor column axons execute a ternary trajectory choice between limb and body tissues
2007
Lateral Motor Column Axons Choose Between Limb and Body Tissues
Sample size: 5
publication
10 minutes
Evidence: high
Author Information
Author(s): Victor Luria, Ed Laufer
Primary Institution: Columbia University
Hypothesis
Do medial LMC axons innervate non-limb tissues such as the ventral flank?
Conclusion
Medial LMC neurons can innervate both ventral flank and limb targets, indicating a ternary choice of trajectories at the base of the limb.
Supporting Evidence
- Medial LMC axons were found to project to the ventral flank mesenchyme.
- Conditional BmprIa mutants showed that medial LMC axons are redirected to the flank when ventral limb mesenchyme is absent.
- Retrograde labeling indicated that almost all neurons innervating the ventral flank express medial LMC markers.
Takeaway
Some nerves that control muscles in the belly come from the same area in the spine as those that control leg muscles, showing that nerves can choose different paths.
Methodology
The study used retrograde and anterograde labeling techniques to trace axonal projections in mouse embryos.
Participant Demographics
E13.5 mouse embryos
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.00005
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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