PUBLICATION

Chondroitin sulfates affect the formation of the segmental motor nerves in zebrafish embryos

Authors
Bernhardt, R.R. and Schachner, M.
ID
ZDB-PUB-000505-11
Date
2000
Source
Developmental Biology   221(1): 206-219 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Bernhardt, Robert, Schachner, Melitta
Keywords
chondroitinase ABC; heparinase; glycosaminoglycan; proteoglycan; axon guidance; recognition molecule; somite; extracellular matrix
MeSH Terms
  • Motor Neurons/metabolism*
  • Tubulin/immunology
  • Animals
  • Chondroitin ABC Lyase/metabolism
  • Chondroitin ABC Lyase/pharmacology
  • Central Nervous System/drug effects
  • Central Nervous System/embryology
  • Cell Division
  • In Situ Hybridization
  • Chondroitin Sulfates/metabolism
  • Chondroitin Sulfates/pharmacology*
  • Microinjections
  • Zebrafish/embryology*
  • Microscopy, Electron
  • Immunohistochemistry
(all 15)
PubMed
10772802 Full text @ Dev. Biol.
Abstract
Chondroitin sulfates have been implicated in the promotion and in the inhibition of axon growth. In the zebrafish embryo, chondroitin sulfates are present at the interface of the somites and the notochord where spinal motor axons extend ventrally to establish the midsegmental ventral motor nerves. Injection of chondroitinase ABC prior to motor axon outgrowth effectively removed all chondroitin sulfate immunoreactivity and induced abnormal axonal outgrowth in many (39%) of the ventral motor nerves. The most common abnormality was the formation of side branches, approximately half of which extended posteriorly, the others anteriorly. The effect was specific to the removal of chondroitin sulfates, since injections of vehicle solution or of heparinase III did not affect the ventral motor nerves. Electron microscopic examination demonstrated that the injections caused no damage to spinal cord, somite, and notochord. This suggests that chondroitin sulfates normally constrain the outgrowth of the ventral motor nerves. Consistent with this hypothesis, injections of soluble chondroitin sulfates, either as a mixture or individually, led to truncated or missing ventral motor nerves. Truncations were most frequent after injection of chondroitin sulfate-B (up to 23%) while chondroitin sulfate-A had a lesser, and chondroitin sulfate-C no apparent, effect.
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Citation
Bernhardt, R.R. and Schachner, M. (2000) Chondroitin sulfates affect the formation of the segmental motor nerves in zebrafish embryos. Developmental Biology. 221(1):206-219.