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The Role Of Matrix Metalloproteinases In Axon Guidance And Neurite Outgrowth, Lu Anne Velayo Dinglasan

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Axons navigating the complex environment of the developing CNS use extracellular guidance cues to help find their correct synaptic target. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), a family of zinc-dependent proteolytic enzymes, have been shown to regulate axon guidance by degrading extracellular matrix (ECM) or by cleaving guidance cues and their receptors. The olfactory system is an excellent model for studying the role of MMPs in axon guidance due to its capacity for continuous nerve regeneration and topographic maintenance during synaptic targeting. I hypothesized that MMPs may play a role in guiding olfactory sensory neurons to their correct glomerular target by sculpting the …