Differential Expression of Slitrk Family Members in the Mouse Nervous System

The Slitrk family of transmembrane proteins is composed of six members that are highly expressed in the nervous system. To date, the function of Slitrks during development of the nervous system has yet to be defined. The high homology between the extracellular region of Slitrks and the repulsive axon guidance molecules Slits suggests that Slitrks may regulate axon outgrowth during development. To begin to evaluate their role during development, we have examined the expression of the Slitrk genes in the developing murine nervous system using in situ hybridization. Here, we show that despite some overlap in expression, the Slitrks display distinct patterns of expression in the olfactory system, the eye, forebrain structures, the cerebellum, the spinal cord., and dorsal root ganglia. These diverse patterns of expression suggest that Slitrk family members may have different functions during development of the nervous system. Developmental Dynamics 238:3285-3296, 2009. (C) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.