Draxin, a repulsive axon guidance protein, is involved in hippocampal development

• Published in: Neuroscience research Vol. 66; no. 1; pp. 53 - 61
• Main Authors: Zhang, Sanbing, Su, Yuhong, Shinmyo, Yohei, Islam, Shahidul M., Naser, Iftekhar Bin, Ahmed, Giasuddin, Tamamaki, Nobuaki, Tanaka, Hideaki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 2010
• Subjects: Animals; Apoptosis - physiology; Axons - physiology; Cell death; Cell Proliferation; Cells, Cultured; Dentate gyrus; Draxin; Embryo, Mammalian; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental - genetics; Glycoside Hydrolases - genetics; Glycoside Hydrolases - metabolism; Hippocampus; Hippocampus - cytology; Hippocampus - embryology; Hippocampus - metabolism; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - deficiency; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - physiology; Knockout mouse; Mice; Mice, Knockout; Neurons - classification; Neurons - cytology; Neurons - metabolism; Repulsive axon guidance protein; Dentate gyrus; Cell death; Repulsive axon guidance protein; Hippocampus; Draxin; Knockout mouse
• ISSN: 0168-0102; 1872-8111
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2009.09.1710

The hippocampus plays an essential role in learning and memory and is one of the major sites implicated in neural diseases. The proper organization of the hippocampus during development is important for its function. We found that draxin, a repulsive axon guidance cue, was widely expressed in the developing hippocampus and
draxin deficient mice possessed a smaller hippocampus, particularly in the anterior part of the structure. Quantification of this reduction revealed that the volume of the dentate gyrus of the mutant was significantly smaller compared to the normal counterpart. This size reduction seemed to be dependent on apoptosis rather than due to a decrease in the rate of cell division.