About: Target selection

Target selection is the process by which axons (nerve fibres) selectively target other cells for synapse formation. Synapses are structures which enable electrical or chemical signals to pass between nerves. While the mechanisms governing target specificity remain incompletely understood, it has been shown in many organisms that a combination of genetic and activity-based mechanisms govern initial target selection and refinement. The process of target selection has multiple steps that include Axon pathfinding when neurons extend processes to specific regions, cellular target selection when neurons choose appropriate partners in a target region from a multitude of potential partners, and subcellular target selection where axons often target particular regions of a partner neuron.