Cross-midline interactions between mouse commissural hindbrain axons contribute to their efficient decussation

Abstract

Information from both sides of the brain is integrated by axons that project across the midline of the central nervous system via numerous commissures present at all axial levels. Despite the accumulated experimental evidence, questions remain regarding the formation of commissures in the presence of strong repulsive signals in the ventral midline. Studies from invertebrates suggest that interaction at the midline between homologous axons of specific decussating neurons contributes to efficient midline crossing, but such evidence is lacking in vertebrate systems. We performed experiments to determine whether commissural axons of the caudal region of the hindbrain interact with their contralateral counterparts at the ventral midline and to evaluate the relevance of this reciprocal interaction. Double anterograde axon labeling with lipophilic tracers revealed close apposition between growth cones of contralateral pioneer decussating axons at the midline. Later, we detected fasciculation between contralateral axons that is maintained even after they have crossed the midline. Blocking axon projections unilaterally with a solid mechanical barrier decreased dramatically the midline crossing of the equivalent population from the contralateral side. Decussation was also blocked by a unilateral barrier permeable to diffusible molecules but not by an axon-permeable barrier. These results suggest that in the caudal region of the hindbrain, midline crossing is facilitated by interactions between decussating contralateral axon partners.