August 2006 Mouse of the Month |
Semaphorin III/D gene targeting mice an essential cue for axon guidance BRC No. 01104_semaphorin III/D (null) Targeting mice
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Semaphorin III/D (also called Sema3a) is a member of the collapsin/semaphorin family and functions as the repulsive and attractive cues of axon guidance during nervous system development. Semaphorin III/D is well characterized neural chemorepellents and regulates nerve fiber projection in vivo. The body weight of homozygous mutant mice is only half of wild-type mice at 4 weeksof age, and the peripheral nerve projection is also affected. This strain is useful for elucidating the mechanism of axon guidance.