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Here we investigate the roles of PlexinA and PlexinB receptors in axonal branch and varicosity formation in <jats:italic>Drosophila<\/jats:italic>. We knocked down PlexinA or PlexinB expression using RNAi in identified mechanosensory neurons and analyzed axonal branching patterns and varicosity formations. Reducing PlexinA expression increased the axonal arbor complexity by increasing the number of branches and varicosities along the axon. In contrast, knocking down PlexinB expression decreased morphological complexity by decreasing the number of branches and the overall size of the axonal arbor, but did not reduce the number of varicosities. Our results demonstrate opposing roles for PlexinA and PlexinB in local wiring within a target region, where PlexinA functions to suppress excessive axonal branches and synapses and PlexinB facilitates axonal growth.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1186\/1756-6606-4-15","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2011,4,14]],"date-time":"2011-04-14T06:20:23Z","timestamp":1302762023000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Opposing roles of PlexinA and PlexinB in axonal branch and varicosity formation"],"prefix":"10.1186","volume":"4","author":[{"given":"Shay Q","family":"Neufeld","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alexa D","family":"Hibbert","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Brian E","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2011,4,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"116_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"319","DOI":"10.1080\/10409230490906797","volume":"39","author":"DS Garbe","year":"2004","unstructured":"Garbe DS, Bashaw GJ: Axon guidance at the midline: from mutants to mechanisms. 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