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Sensory nerve cell avoiding contact with EphrinA5 protein
The orange cell is a sensory nerve cell, which would normally carry messages from the periphery of the body (e.g. skin) to the brain via the spinal cord. This picture shows nerve cell processes, called neurites, growing in culture between stripes of a protein called EphrinA5 (stained green). The parts of the cell that come into contact with the EphrinA5 are repelled and do not grow across the stripes but are forced to grow in between them. EphrinA5 is normally found on nerve cells in the developing embryo, where it may help to set up the correct pattern of nerves by providing repulsive signals during the development of the nervous system. The role of Ephrins in controlling nerve regeneration in adults is currently under investigation.
Isabella Gavazzi and Linda Appiah-Kubi.
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