Proper neuronal migration is crucial for vertebrate nervous system development, but how do neurons know when to stop migrating? Hitoshi Okamoto and colleagues now shed light on this question and report that some neuronal progenitors in zebrafish fail to stop migrating at their normal position when a sugar called fucose is not synthesized correctly (see p. 1653). By screening for mutants in which vagus motor nuclei do not form properly, the authors isolated the towhead mutant and found that towheadencodes GDP-mannose 4,6, dehydratase (GMDS), a key enzyme in the fucosylation pathway. Accordingly, the authors detected fewer fucosylated glycans than normal in towhead mutant embryos, but although fucosylation has been reported to regulate Notch signalling, this signalling pathway is not altered in towhead mutants. The authors also demonstrate that, for correct migration, GMDS is not required in vagus motor neuron progenitors, but instead in the surrounding epithelial cells. They propose, therefore, that fucosylated glycans on epithelial cells prevent migrating vagus motor neuron progenitors from overshooting their target.
Sugar-coated stop signs for neurons
Sugar-coated stop signs for neurons. Development 15 May 2009; 136 (10): e1003. doi:
Download citation file:
Advertisement
Cited by
Development presents... live stream of our Journal Meeting

Watch a session from Development’s Journal Meeting, Unconventional and Emerging Experimental Organisms in Cell and Developmental Biology which was live on the Node Monday 18 September.
Navigating a research career with a disability

Our two recent Perspectives articles explore the lived experiences of disabled scientists in our community. Kelsey L. Anbuhl and colleagues describe the lived experiences of five biologists who share the challenges and successes of undertaking a scientific career with a disability. Whereas Jack Darius Morgan reviews the literature exploring disabled scientists’ experiences in academia.
Focus on regeneration

Tissue regeneration is a fascinating phenomenon, but the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying regeneration remain incompletely understood. Here, Development has collated a series of articles showcasing some of the most recent advances in regenerative biology.
Keeping up with the Node: Lab meetings

Keep up with the Node 'Lab meeting' posts as the platform regularly highlights development and stem cell biology labs from across the globe and showcases research and researchers from the community. August featured the Nichols lab at the University of Edinburgh, read their 'Lab meeting' article here.
Read & Publish Open Access publishing: what authors say

We have had great feedback from authors who have benefitted from our Read & Publish agreement with their institution and have been able to publish Open Access with us without paying an APC. Read what they had to say.