A Ligand-Gated Association between Cytoplasmic Domains of UNC5 and DCC Family Receptors Converts Netrin-Induced Growth Cone Attraction to Repulsion

(Cell 97, 927–941; June 25, 1999) Concerns about spliced and duplicated images in this paper, published in 1999, were brought to our attention by the corresponding author in 2015. These concerns included splicing of gel images in Figures 3C, 5A, 5B, and 7B–7D and duplication of blank blots in Figure 7C (top right and bottom left panels). After we were notified of these issues in 2015, we investigated the matter. We decided, based on information available, to take no further action because in 1999 we did not have policies prohibiting the unmarked splicing of images observed in Figures 3C, 5A, 5B, and 7B–7D and because there was insufficient information to make a determination regarding the question of intent for the duplication observed in Figure 7C. More recently, we have become aware of additional potential issues in the paper. Specifically, multiple areas of Figure 3A appear to be duplicated, and there are two instances of possible duplication within the bottom right panel of Figure 7C. A university investigation is underway, and its outcome will inform any further action that we may take. This statement is to alert readers of the concerns and the ongoing process. A Ligand-Gated Association between Cytoplasmic Domains of UNC5 and DCC Family Receptors Converts Netrin-Induced Growth Cone Attraction to RepulsionHong et al.CellJune 25, 1999In BriefNetrins are bifunctional: they attract some axons and repel others. Netrin receptors of the Deleted in Colorectal Cancer (DCC) family are implicated in attraction and those of the UNC5 family in repulsion, but genetic evidence also suggests involvement of the DCC protein UNC-40 in some cases of repulsion. To test whether these proteins form a receptor complex for repulsion, we studied the attractive responses of Xenopus spinal axons to netrin-1, which are mediated by DCC. We show that attraction is converted to repulsion by expression of UNC5 proteins in these cells, that this repulsion requires DCC function, that the UNC5 cytoplasmic domain is sufficient to effect the conversion, and that repulsion can be initiated by netrin-1 binding to either UNC5 or DCC. Full-Text PDF Open Archive