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Regulation of mammalian neuromuscular junction formation and maintenance by Wnt signaling

M. Boëx,J. Messéant,Stéphanie Bauché,B. Fontaine,C. Legay,L. Strochlic

Published 2018 in Current Opinion in Physiology

ABSTRACT

The development and maintenance of the neuromuscular connectivity relies on a temporally fine-tuned balance of distinct bi-directional communication between motor neurons and their muscle targets. Disruption of this communication leads to functional and structural defects that affect the motor function and causes severe neuromuscular pathologies. A limited number of secreted molecules exchanged across the synaptic cleft are critical for the development and maintenance of the nerve/muscle contact. Among those factors, members of the large family of Wnt molecules, best known for their role in numerous developmental processes have emerged as complex key players at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), being possibly involved in multiple aspects of synapse positioning, differentiation and maintenance. Yet, their specific mode of action and downstream signaling in vivo remain controversial in mammals creating a certain degree of confusion as to the mechanistic frame of Wnt-elicited function at the NMJ. Recent advances in understanding the role of the Wnt signaling network during mammalian NMJ formation and maintenance is reviewed here.

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