Abstract
Flight in birds evolved through patterning of the wings from forelimbs and transition from alternating gait to synchronous flapping. In mammals, the spinal midline guidance molecule ephrin-B3 instructs the wiring that enables limb alternation, and its deletion leads to synchronous hopping gait. Here we show that the ephrin-B3 protein in birds lacks several motifs present in other vertebrates, diminishing its affinity for the EphA4 receptor. The avian ephrin-B3 gene lacks an enhancer that drives midline expression, and is missing in Galliformes. The morphology and wiring at brachial levels of the chick spinal cord resemble those of ephrin-B3 null mice. Importantly, dorsal midline decussation, evident in the mutant mouse, is apparent at the chick brachial level, and is prevented by expression of exogenous ephrin-B3 at the roof plate. Our findings support a role for loss of ephrin-B3 function in shaping the avian brachial spinal cord circuitry and facilitating synchronous wing flapping.
Teaser Walking vs flying: Deciphering the organization and evolution of the neuronal network that controls wing flapping in birds.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
