Mechanisms Governing Neuronal Migration And Morphology

The correct migration of neurons to specific targets underlies the normal formation and function of our nervous system. Defective movement of neurons results in their aberrant function or death, thus causing a range of developmental problems. Neurons move by responding to extracellular cues which alter the dynamic organization of cytoskeletal elements via complex and often overlapping signaling pathways. Changes in external cues or intracellular signaling molecules are responsible for altered neuronal movement and behavior, and are increasingly being associated with the occurrence of lissencephaly, epilepsy and mental retardation. This issue provides current findings and future directions towards understanding how the dynamic organization of the neuronal cytoskeleton affects movement and the consequences of normal and altered neuronal migration on the nervous system. The topics highlight the importance of specific proteins that regulate actin filaments and microtubules, and how their changes affect neuronal translocation. The effects of genetic or environmental alterations on the formation of the nervous system and the power of high-resolution imaging in analyzing both normal and defective development are emphasized. The volume will thus be of interest to a wide range of molecular and cellular neurobiologists, developmental biologists and neurologists.