Transient cell–cell interactions in neural circuit formation

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Abstract
Transient cell–cell interactions aid the formation of neural circuits by providing positional cues for axon guidance and synaptogenesis. Shen and colleagues describe the mechanisms by which they help to organize neural connections in different contexts. The wiring of the nervous system requires a complex orchestration of developmental events. Emerging evidence suggests that transient cell–cell interactions often serve as positional cues for axon guidance and synaptogenesis during the assembly of neural circuits. In contrast to the relatively stable cellular interactions between synaptic partners in mature circuits, these transient interactions involve cells that are not destined to be pre- or postsynaptic cells. Here we review the roles of these transient cell–cell interactions in a variety of developmental contexts and describe the mechanisms through which they organize neural connections.