Dynamic mechanisms for bundling and guidance during neural network formation

The dynamic mechanisms by which self-organizing circuits form in a developing nervous system remain to be elucidated. It is clear, however, that diffusible chemoattractants and chemorepellants as well as contact attraction and contact repulsion have been implicated in the establishment of connections between neurons and their targets. We will describe simulations based on the known biology of the whole sequence of events from the bundling of axons, guidance, pathfinding, to debundling and the final innervation of individual targets.