Abstract: Nidhi SUBHASHINI

Dissecting the Role of VAPB During Assembly of Neuromuscular Circuits/em>

---

Nidhi Subhashini, Till Marquardt

DIMPRS Neuroscience Program, Göttingen, Germany

---

Our preliminary data suggest that crosstalk between VAPB and ephrin-A/EphA signaling contributes to heterotypic axon-axon interactions that during normal development resolve peripheral motor and somato-sensory projections into anatomically and functionally discrete pathways. Ongoing work addresses whether this involves direct engagement and activation of motor axonal EphA receptors by VAPB, how such crosstalk would synergize with the action of ephrin-A proteins to control axon-axon interactions and what its contribution would be to neuromuscular circuit assembly and function. Ultimately, we will ask whether the manipulation of signalling components driving heterotypic trans-axon interactions would determine the efficacy and outcome of regenerative peripheral nerve assembly – and whether or how these physiological roles of VAPB are linked to neuromuscular disease.