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Movement through slits: Cellular migration via the Slit family
Author(s) -
Piper Michael,
Little Melissa
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/bies.10199
Subject(s) - slit , gastrulation , biology , zebrafish , microbiology and biotechnology , roundabout , myogenesis , axon guidance , neuronal migration , growth cone , nervous system , netrin , cell migration , anatomy , neuroscience , embryo , axon , embryogenesis , cell , genetics , gene , myocyte
First isolated in the fly and now characterised in vertebrates, the Slit proteins have emerged as pivotal components controlling the guidance of axonal growth cones and the directional migration of neuronal precursors. As well as extensive expression during development of the central nervous system (CNS), the Slit proteins exhibit a striking array of expression sites in non‐neuronal tissues, including the urogenital system, limb primordia and developing eye. Zebrafish Slit has been shown to mediate mesodermal migration during gastrulation, while Drosophila slit guides the migration of mesodermal cells during myogenesis. This suggests that the actions of these secreted molecules are not simply confined to the sphere of CNS development, but rather act in a more general fashion during development and throughout the lifetime of an organism. This review focuses on the non‐neuronal activities of Slit proteins, highlighting a common role for the Slit family in cellular migration. BioEssays 25:32–38, 2003. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.