ABSTRACT Recent studies have shown that developing nerve fibres grow directly to their targets1–4 and are guided by specific cues5,6, but the nature of these cues and the mechanism of

guidance remain unknown7,8. The growth of sympathetic axons towards an artificial source of nerve growth factor (NGF) _in vivo_9 and of sensory neurites up a concentration gradient of NGF

_in vitro_10,11 has supported the hypothesis that NGF, produced by target tissues, acts as a chemotactic attractant for these nerve fibres during development12. Both these studies and those

of the influence of NGF13,14 or target tissues15–19 on neurite growth _in vitro_ were conducted late in development when, following target encounter, the neurones had become dependent on NGF

outgrowth which occurred in co-cultures of older neurones with denervated target tissue. These results demonstrate that agents other than NGF guide neurites of NGF-responsive neurones in

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customer support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS MOTOR INNERVATION DIRECTS THE CORRECT DEVELOPMENT OF THE MOUSE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM Article Open access 16 August 2024

SYMPATHETIC NEURONS SECRETE RETROGRADELY TRANSPORTED TRKA ON EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES Article Open access 04 March 2023 NEURONAL PROCESSES AND GLIAL PRECURSORS FORM A SCAFFOLD FOR WIRING THE

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George's Hospital Medical School, London, SW17 0RE, UK AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Department of Anatomy, Guy's Hospital Medical School, London, SE1 9RT, UK A. G. S. Lumsden & 

A. M. Davies Authors * A. G. S. Lumsden View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * A. M. Davies View author publications You can also search for

this author inPubMed Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Lumsden, A., Davies, A. Earliest sensory nerve fibres are guided to

peripheral targets by attractants other than nerve growth factor. _Nature_ 306, 786–788 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/306786a0 Download citation * Received: 15 April 1983 * Accepted: 17

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