Sensory Neuron Specification and Axon Guidance

涉及轴突沿着特定路径生长的机制将在鸡的后肢中进行研究。选定的几组神经元将在卵子中被不同的荧光染料标记，然后从胚胎中取出并在培养中进行研究。研究人员将研究两种类型的感觉神经元，即支配皮肤和肌肉的感觉神经元，以确定它们在接触运动神经元突起、表达各种细胞黏附分子以及向特定靶组织生长时的反应是否不同。更广泛地说，这些研究有望阐明与神经元特异性和再生发展有关的机制。

The mechanisms involved in the growth of axons along specific, pathways will be studied in the chick hindlimb. Select sets of neurons will be labeled in ovo with different fluorescent dyes and then removed from the embryo and studied in culture. Two types of sensory neurons, those that innervate skin and muscle, will be studied to determine if these differ in their responses to contact with processes of motoneurons, expression of various cell adhesion molecules and growth toward specific target tissues. More generally, these studies promise to elucidate mechanisms involved in the development of neuronal specificity and regeneration.