Axon fasciculation defects and retinal dysplasias in mice lacking the immunoglobulin superfamily adhesion molecule BEN/ALCAM/SC1.

Abstract

The immunoglobulin superfamily adhesion molecule BEN (other names include ALCAM, SC1, DM-GRASP, neurolin, and CD166) has been implicated in the control of numerous developmental and pathological processes, including the guidance of retinal and motor axons to their targets. To test hypotheses about BEN function, we disrupted its gene via homologous recombination and analyzed the resulting mutant mice. Mice lacking BEN are viable and fertile, and display no external morphological defects. Despite grossly normal trajectories, both motor and retinal ganglion cell axons fasciculated poorly and were occasionally misdirected. In addition, BEN mutant retinae exhibited evaginated or invaginated regions with photoreceptor ectopias that resembled the "retinal folds" observed in some human retinopathies. Together, these results demonstrate that BEN promotes fasciculation of multiple axonal populations and uncover an unexpected function for BEN in retinal histogenesis.

• Authors: Joshua A Weiner, Sonya J Koo, Stéphane Nicolas, Sandrine Fraboulet, Samuel L Pfaff, Olivier Pourquié, Joshua R Sanes
• Journal: Molecular and cellular neurosciences (Mol Cell Neurosci) Vol. 27 Issue 1 Pg. 59-69 (Sep 2004) ISSN: 1044-7431 [Print] United States
• PMID: 15345243 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)
• Copyright: Copyright 2004 Elsevier Inc.

Chemical References

• Activated-Leukocyte Cell Adhesion Molecule

Topics

• Activated-Leukocyte Cell Adhesion Molecule (genetics)
• Animals
• Cell Adhesion (genetics)
• Cell Communication (genetics)
• Cell Differentiation (genetics)
• Cells, Cultured
• Choristoma (genetics, metabolism, physiopathology)
• Growth Cones (metabolism, pathology)
• Mice
• Mice, Knockout
• Motor Neurons (metabolism, pathology)
• Optic Nerve (abnormalities, metabolism, pathology)
• Retinal Dysplasia (genetics, metabolism, physiopathology)
• Retinal Ganglion Cells (metabolism, pathology)