The Examination of Autotaxin in the Production of LPA as an Axon Guidance Molecule in Chicken Retinal Ganglion Cells

Poster Number

05

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Keywords

Brain, Development, Visual System, Neuroscience

Department

Biology

Faculty Mentor

Dr. Eric Birgbauer

Abstract

Growth cones direct axon pathfinding during neurological development. The finger-like projections do this by detecting environmental stimuli, which are referred to as axon guidance molecules. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is produced by the enzyme autotaxin (ATX) and has been demonstrated to cause growth cone collapse in vitro. ATX has been found in the mid-forebrain boundary of the embryonic chick brain, a target region for retinal axons. To understand LPA’s role in axon guidance, we injected a virus expressing an siRNA agent for ATX into chick brains prior to retinal axon innervation at day three of development (E3), and then examined retinal axon guidance to the target, the optic tectum, at E12. Through viral expression of the siRNA, the mRNA transcript of ATX is silenced, thereby depleting the production of enzyme and its subsequent product, LPA. Using a control virus that does not silence ATX, and thus not inhibit LPA production, preliminary data demonstrate normal retinal axon development and pathfinding to the optic tectum. Examination of optic tecti with the ATX/siRNA virus under fluorescence and confocal microscopy will allow us to investigate whether LPA acts as an axon guidance molecule for retinal axons at the tectum.

Previously Presented/Performed?

Symposium for Young Neurosciences and Professors of the Southeast (SYNAPSE), Presbyterian College, April 2016

Grant Support?

Supported by a grant from the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health

Start Date

22-4-2016 12:00 PM

End Date

22-4-2016 2:00 PM

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The Examination of Autotaxin in the Production of LPA as an Axon Guidance Molecule in Chicken Retinal Ganglion Cells

Rutledge

Growth cones direct axon pathfinding during neurological development. The finger-like projections do this by detecting environmental stimuli, which are referred to as axon guidance molecules. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is produced by the enzyme autotaxin (ATX) and has been demonstrated to cause growth cone collapse in vitro. ATX has been found in the mid-forebrain boundary of the embryonic chick brain, a target region for retinal axons. To understand LPA’s role in axon guidance, we injected a virus expressing an siRNA agent for ATX into chick brains prior to retinal axon innervation at day three of development (E3), and then examined retinal axon guidance to the target, the optic tectum, at E12. Through viral expression of the siRNA, the mRNA transcript of ATX is silenced, thereby depleting the production of enzyme and its subsequent product, LPA. Using a control virus that does not silence ATX, and thus not inhibit LPA production, preliminary data demonstrate normal retinal axon development and pathfinding to the optic tectum. Examination of optic tecti with the ATX/siRNA virus under fluorescence and confocal microscopy will allow us to investigate whether LPA acts as an axon guidance molecule for retinal axons at the tectum.