Spatio-temporal dynamics of second messenger networks downstream of axon guidance molecules – SecNet

cAMP, cGMP and calcium are signaling molecules shared by many pathways. Nevertheless, they drive their myriad of downstream cellular events in a very selective way, including axon pathfinding and cell migration. The spatial regulation of molecules within a cell emerged as a flexible strategy to provide such specificity. However, compartmentalized signaling is unlikely to fully explain the specific activation of cAMP, cGMP and calcium effectors because of the diversity of the downstream pathways. We hypothesize that this specificity involves subcellular compartmentalization, together with combined activation or inhibition of interdependent second messenger signals within each compartment, enhancing the diversity of available signals. We are planning to combine cell biology approaches and computational modeling to provide a description of compartmentalized networks of second messengers that specifically regulate axon guidance and cell migration in response to repellent molecules (Slits and ephrinAs).