Regulation of cortical dendrite development by Slit-Robo interactions.

Slit proteins have previously been shown to regulate axon guidance, branching, and neural migration. Here we report that, in addition to acting as a chemorepellant for cortical axons, Slit1 regulates dendritic development. Slit1 is expressed in the developing cortex, and exposure to Slit1 leads to increased dendritic growth and branching. Conversely, inhibition of Slit-Robo interactions by Robo-Fc fusion proteins or by a dominant-negative Robo attenuates dendritic branching. Stimulation of neurons transfected with a Met-Robo chimeric receptor with Hepatocyte growth factor leads to a robust induction of dendritic growth and branching, suggesting that Robo-mediated signaling is sufficient to induce dendritic remodeling. These experiments indicate that Slit-Robo interactions may exert a significant influence over the specification of cortical neuron morphology by regulating both axon guidance and dendritic patterning.

Citation

Kristin L Whitford, Valérie Marillat, Elke Stein, Corey S Goodman, Marc Tessier-Lavigne, Alain Chédotal, Anirvan Ghosh. Regulation of cortical dendrite development by Slit-Robo interactions. Neuron. 2002 Jan 03;33(1):47-61

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PMID: 11779479

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