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Semaphorin in the Retinal System

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Semaphorins

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Abstract

The vertebrate retina is a light-sensitive layer of tissue that lines the inner surface of the eye. Light striking the retina initiates a cascade of chemical and electrical events that ultimately trigger nerve impulses, which are sent to various visual centers of the brain through the fibers of the optic nerve. Each axis of the retina is mapped independently using different mechanisms and sets of axon-guidance molecules, such as the semaphorins , which are expressed in gradients to achieve projections from points in the retina to points in the target regions of the brain. In animal models, mutations in several of the guidance molecules disrupt axonal projections at specific sites, whereas mutation of one of the semaphorins reduces photoreceptor survival. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of neural defects in a variety of animal models can provide valuable insights into the effects of each molecule in clinical disorders and may form the basis of future therapies to prevent retinal diseases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Immunology and Regenerative Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan

    Toshihiko Toyofuku

  2. World Premier International Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, 3-1 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan

    Toshihiko Toyofuku

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  1. Toshihiko Toyofuku
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Correspondence to Toshihiko Toyofuku .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Respiratory Medicine Allergy and Rheumatic Diseases, Graduate School of Medicine Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan

    Atsushi Kumanogoh

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Toyofuku, T. (2015). Semaphorin in the Retinal System. In: Kumanogoh, A. (eds) Semaphorins. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54385-5_11

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