In vivo and in vitro models for studying the involvement of axonal adhesive glycoproteins in neurite outgrowth control
FP4 — Training and Mobility of Researchers
- Duration
- 1996-10-15 → 1997-10-14
- EU contribution
- —
- Participants
- 2
- Scheme
- RGI
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Project objective
Several morphoregulatories molecules involved in the formation of preci neural networks belong to adhesion molecules of the immunoglobulin superfamily. Among these, the mouse F3 is made of 6 immunoglobulin-like domains, 4 fibronectin type III repeats and is anchored to membrane by a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol group. Its expression is spatio-temporally regulated on the axons of subpopulations of neurons. This expression is in agreement with a role of stimulation of axonal growth during the development and maintenance of synapses in the adult. In vitro studies indicated that it is a plurifunctional molecule likely to interact with several ligands. The characterization of structural and functional interactions among axonally- expressed adhesion molecules and their underlying signalling pathway is the central topic of this project. We will test on in vivo models the involvment of F3 and NCAM domains in the formation of neural pathway and the importance of NCAM transducing signals generated by triggering of F3 receptors (s). In this attempt use will be made of contructs coding for F3/NCAM chimeric molecules bearing the NCAM domains 4 and 5, fused to the F3 protein sequence downstream the hinge region. These constructs will be expressed in transgenic mice by using as background either wild type or NCAM null mutant mice. This should allow to study: - the effect of an overexpression of defined immunoglobulin domains on precise areas of the developing brain, - to investigate homo and heterophilic interactions contracted by these domains and - to decide whether a NCAM background is necessary for the functional effects of the generated chimeric proteins.
Original text from CORDIS.
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Data: CORDIS, © European Union