Target-mediated control of neural differentiation.

The development of the nervous system entails the coordination of the spatial and chemical development of both pre- and postsynaptic elements. This coordination is accomplished by signals passing between neurons and the target cells that they innervate. This review focuses on well-characterized examples of target-mediated neuronal differentiation in the central and peripheral nervous systems. These include control of neurogenesis in the leech by male genitalia, presynaptic differentiation induced by postsynaptic molecules expressed by skeletal muscle, postsynaptic adhesion molecules that induce presynaptic differentiation in the central nervous system (CNS), target-mediated control of neurotransmitter phenotype in peripheral neurons, and target-regulated control of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and large conductance calcium-activated potassium channels (BK). The detailed understanding of these processes will uncover signals critical for the directed differentiation of stem cells as well as identify future targets for therapies in neural regeneration that promote the reestablishment of functional connections.