What axons tell each other: axon-axon signaling in nerve and circuit assembly

Abstract

A remarkable feature of nervous system development is the ability of axons emerging from newly formed neurons to traverse, by cellular scale, colossal distances to appropriate targets. The earliest axons achieve this in an essentially axon-free environment, but the vast majority of axons eventually grow along a scaffold of nerve tracts created by earlier extending axons. Signal exchange between sequentially or simultaneously extending axons may well represent the predominant mode of axonal navigation, but proportionally few efforts have so far been directed at deciphering the underlying mechanisms. This review intends to provide a conceptual update on the cellular and molecular principles driving axon-axon interactions, with emphasis on those contributing to the fidelity of axonal navigation, sorting and connectivity during nerve and circuit assembly.