Feedback-mediated neuronal competition for survival cues regulates innervation of a target tissue

Abstract

Proper wiring of the nervous system requires tight control of the number of nerve terminals that innervate a target tissue. Recent work by Deppmann et al.,(1) now suggests that this is achieved by feedback-mediated neuronal competition for target-derived survival cues. The authors' model is inspired by the theory for pattern formation based on self-activation and lateral inhibition, proposed by Meinhardt and Gierer more than 30 years ago.(2). © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.