Neogenin mediates the action of repulsive guidance molecule.

Repulsive guidance molecule (RGM) is a recently identified protein implicated in both axonal guidance and neural tube closure. The avoidance of chick RGM in the posterior optic tectum by growing temporal, but not nasal, retinal ganglion cell axons is thought to contribute to visual map formation. In contrast to ephrins, semaphorins, netrins and slits, no receptor mechanism for RGM action has been defined. Here, an expression cloning strategy identified neogenin as a binding site for RGM, with a sub-nanomolar affinity. Consistent with selective axonal responsiveness to RGM, neogenin is expressed in a gradient across the chick retina. Neogenin is known to be one of several netrin-binding proteins but only neogenin interacts with RGM. The avoidance of RGM by temporal retinal axons is blocked by the anti-neogenin antibody and the soluble neogenin ectodomain. Dorsal root ganglion axons are unresponsive to RGM but are converted to a responsive state by neogenin expression. Thus, neogenin functions as an RGM receptor.

Comm sorts robo to control axon guidance at the Drosophila midline.

Axon growth across the Drosophila midline requires Comm to downregulate Robo, the receptor for the midline repellent Slit. We show here that comm is required in neurons, not in midline cells as previously thought, and that it is expressed specifically and transiently in commissural neurons. Comm acts as a sorting receptor for Robo, diverting it from the synthetic to the late endocytic pathway. A conserved cytoplasmic LPSY motif is required for endosomal sorting of Comm in vitro and for Comm to downregulate Robo and promote midline crossing in vivo. Axon traffic at the CNS midline is thus controlled by the intracellular trafficking of the Robo guidance receptor, which in turn depends on the precisely regulated expression of the Comm sorting receptor.