Axonal self-sorting without target guidance in Drosophila visual map formation. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38452066/)

These scientists wanted to understand how the brain wires itself without specific directions. They studied the growth of axons in fruit flies, specifically looking at how they find their way without a set target to follow. They found that even without specific instructions, the axons were able to form patterns on their own.

The scientists observed the growth cones, which are like the tips of the axons, using special imaging techniques in live fruit fly pupae. They discovered that these growth cones were able to create a meshwork of filopodia (tiny projections) that helped guide their growth in the right direction.

By studying these interactions between the axons themselves, the scientists found that the brain wiring process could actually organize itself without needing external guidance. This means that the brain has a built-in ability to figure out where to grow and how to connect with other parts of the brain.

Agi E., Reifenstein ET., Wit C., Schneider T., Kauer M., Kehribar M., Kulkarni A., von Kleist M., Hiesinger PR. Axonal self-sorting without target guidance in Drosophila visual map formation. Science. 2024 Mar 8;383(6687):1084-1092. doi: 10.1126/science.adk3043. Epub 2024 Mar 7.