Our work on RGMb demonstrates a clear and new role in the developing chick visual system. RGMb is expressed in distinct areas of the developing visual system: retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) of the retina, which are the only cells in the visual system that extend axons to the brain, as well as newly differentiated neuronal cells within the optic tectum (OT), the primary target of RGC axons. Knockdown of RGMb in RGCs at embryonic day 2 (E2) resulted in aberrant axon projection at E17, indicating that RGMb is required for axon development. Furthermore, knockdown of RGMb in the optic tectum at E5 resulted in disrupted cellular migration at E9, demonstrating that RGMb is involved in correct cell migration. Lastly, we demonstrated that RGMb binds to the Fibronectin III (3,4) domain of Neogenin, which provides a basis for determining the mechanism through which RGMb exerts its biological effects.

Our work on RGMb demonstrates a clear and new role in the developing chick visual system. RGMb is expressed in distinct areas of the developing visual system: retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) of the retina, which are the only cells in the visual system that extend axons to the brain, as well as newly differentiated neuronal cells within the optic tectum (OT), the primary target of RGC axons. Knockdown of RGMb in RGCs at embryonic day 2 (E2) resulted in aberrant axon projection at E17, indicating that RGMb is required for axon development. Furthermore, knockdown of RGMb in the optic tectum at E5 resulted in disrupted cellular migration at E9, demonstrating that RGMb is involved in correct cell migration. Lastly, we demonstrated that RGMb binds to the Fibronectin III (3,4) domain of Neogenin, which provides a basis for determining the mechanism through which RGMb exerts its biological effects.