The Extraction of Coupling-of-Modes Parameters in a Layered Piezoelectric Substrate and Its Application to a Double-Mode SAW Filter.

This paper presents an advanced method that combines coupling-of-modes (COM) theory and the finite element method (FEM), which enables the quick extraction of COM parameters and the accurate prediction of the electroacoustic and temperature behavior of surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices. For validation, firstly, the proposed method is performed for a normal SAW resonator. Then, the validated method is applied to analysis of an I.H.P. SAW resonator based on a 29°YX-LT/SiO2/SiC structure. Via optimization, the electromechanical coupling coefficient (K2) is increased up to 13.92% and a high quality (Q) value of 1265 is obtained; meanwhile, the corresponding temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF) is -10.67 ppm/°C. Furthermore, a double-mode SAW (DMS) filter with low insertion loss and excellent temperature stability is also produced. It is demonstrated that the proposed method is effective even for SAW devices with complex structures, providing a useful tool for the design of SAW devices with improved performance.

Establishing an Efficient Electroporation-Based Method to Manipulate Target Gene Expression in the Axolotl Brain.

The tetrapod salamander species axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is capable of regenerating injured brain. For better understanding the mechanisms of brain regeneration, it is very necessary to establish a rapid and efficient gain-of-function and loss-of-function approaches to study gene function in the axolotl brain. Here, we establish and optimize an electroporation-based method to overexpress or knockout/knockdown target gene in ependymal glial cells (EGCs) in the axolotl telencephalon. By orientating the electrodes, we were able to achieve specific expression of EGFP in EGCs located in dorsal, ventral, medial, or lateral ventricular zones. We then studied the role of Cdc42 in brain regeneration by introducing Cdc42 into EGCs through electroporation, followed by brain injury. Our findings showed that overexpression of Cdc42 in EGCs did not significantly affect EGC proliferation and production of newly born neurons, but it disrupted their apical polarity, as indicated by the loss of the ZO-1 tight junction marker. This disruption led to a ventricular accumulation of newly born neurons, which are failed to migrate into the neuronal layer where they could mature, thus resulted in a delayed brain regeneration phenotype. Furthermore, when electroporating CAS9-gRNA protein complexes against TnC (Tenascin-C) into EGCs of the brain, we achieved an efficient knockdown of TnC. In the electroporation-targeted area, TnC expression is dramatically reduced at both mRNA and protein levels. Overall, this study established a rapid and efficient electroporation-based gene manipulation approach allowing for investigation of gene function in the process of axolotl brain regeneration.

A scATAC-seq atlas of chromatin accessibility in axolotl brain regions.

Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is an excellent model for investigating regeneration, the interaction between regenerative and developmental processes, comparative genomics, and evolution. The brain, which serves as the material basis of consciousness, learning, memory, and behavior, is the most complex and advanced organ in axolotl. The modulation of transcription factors is a crucial aspect in determining the function of diverse regions within the brain. There is, however, no comprehensive understanding of the gene regulatory network of axolotl brain regions. Here, we utilized single-cell ATAC sequencing to generate the chromatin accessibility landscapes of 81,199 cells from the olfactory bulb, telencephalon, diencephalon and mesencephalon, hypothalamus and pituitary, and the rhombencephalon. Based on these data, we identified key transcription factors specific to distinct cell types and compared cell type functions across brain regions. Our results provide a foundation for comprehensive analysis of gene regulatory programs, which are valuable for future studies of axolotl brain development, regeneration, and evolution, as well as on the mechanisms underlying cell-type diversity in vertebrate brains.

Partially Etched Piezoelectric Film Filled with SiO2 Structure Applied to A1 Mode Resonators for Transverse Modes Suppression.

With the arrival of the Fifth Generation (5G) communication era, there has been an urgent demand for acoustic filters with a high frequency and ultrawide bandwidth used in radio-frequency (RF) front-ends filtering and signal processing. First-order antisymmetric (A1) lamb mode resonators based on LiNbO3 film have attracted wide attention due to their scalable, high operating frequency and large electromechanical coupling coefficients (K2), making them promising candidates for sub-6 GHz wideband filters. However, A1 mode resonators suffer from the occurrence of transverse modes, which should be addressed to make these devices suitable for applications. In this work, theoretical analysis is performed by finite element method (FEM), and the admittance characteristics of an A1 mode resonator and displacement of transverse modes near the resonant frequency (fr) are investigated. We propose a novel Dielectric-Embedded Piston Mode (DEPM) structure, achieved by partially etching a piezoelectric film filled with SiO2, which can almost suppress the transverse modes between the resonant frequency (fr) and anti-resonant frequency (fa) when applied on ZY-cut LiNbO3-based A1 mode resonators. This indicates that compared with Broadband Piston Mode (BPM), Filled-broadband Piston Mode (FPM) and standard structures, the DEPM structure is superior. Furthermore, the design parameters of the resonator are optimized by adjusting the width, depth and filled materials in the etched window of the DEPM structure to obtain a better suppression of transverse modes. The optimized A1 mode resonator using a DEPM structure exhibits a transverse-free response with a high fr of 3.22 GHz and a large K2 of ~30%, which promotes the application of A1 mode devices for use in 5G RF front-ends.

SAW Filters on LiNbO3/SiC Heterostructure for 5G n77 and n78 Band Applications.

The 5G communication system has experienced a substantial expansion of the spectrum, which poses higher requirements to radio frequency (RF) filters in enhancing their operating frequencies and bandwidths. To this end, this work focused on solving the filtering scheme for challenging 5G n77 and n78 bands and successfully implemented the corresponding spurious-free surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters exploiting large-coupling shear horizontal (SH) modes based on X-cut LiNbO3 (LN)/silicon carbide (SiC) heterostructure. Here, we initially investigated the suppression methods for spurious modes theoretically and experimentally and summarized an effective normalized LN thickness ( [Formula: see text] range of 0.15-0.30 for mitigating Rayleigh modes and higher order modes, as well as tilted interdigital transducers (IDT) by about 24° for eliminating transverse modes. Resonators with wavelengths ( λ) from 0.95 to [Formula: see text] were also fabricated, showing a scalable resonance from 2.48 to 4.21 GHz without any in-band ripple. Two filters completely meeting 5G n77 and n78 full bands were finally constructed, showing center frequencies ( fc) of 3763 and 3560 MHz, 3-dB fractional bandwidths (FBW) of 24.8% and 15.6%, and out-of-band (OoB) rejections of 18.7 and 28.1 dB, respectively. This work reveals that X-LN/SiC heterostructure is a promising underpinning material for SAW filters in 5G commercial applications.

Direct-Current Electrical Detection of Surface-Acoustic-Wave-Driven Ferromagnetic Resonance.

Surface acoustic waves (SAW) provide a promising platform to study spin-phonon coupling, which can be achieved by SAW-driven ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) for efficient acoustic manipulation of spin. Although the magneto-elastic effective field model has achieved great success in describing SAW-driven FMR, the magnitude of the effective field acting on the magnetization induced by SAW still remains hard to access. Here, by integrating ferromagnetic stripes with SAW devices, direct-current detection for SAW-driven FMR based on electrical rectification is reported. By analyzing FMR rectified voltage, the effective fields are straightforwardly characterized and extracted, which exhibits the advantages of better integration compatibility and lower cost than traditional methods such as vector-network analyzer-based techniques. A large nonreciprocal rectified voltage is obtained, which is attributed to the coexistence of in-plane and out-of-plane effective fields. The effective fields can be modulated by controlling the longitudinal and shear strains within the films to achieve almost 100% nonreciprocity ratio, demonstrating the potential for electrical switches. Besides its fundamental significance, this finding provides a unique opportunity for a designable spin acousto-electronic device and its convenient signal readout.

Dual-Passband SAW Filter Based on a 32°YX-LN/SiO2/SiC Multilayered Substrate.

To meet the demands of highly integrated and miniaturized radio frequency front-end (RFFE) modules, multi-passband filters which support multi-channel compounding come to the foreground. In this work, we proposed a new design of a dual-passband surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter based on a 32°YX-LiNbO3 (LN)/SiO2/SiC multilayered structure. The filter is of a standalone ladder topology and comprises dual-mode resonators, in which the shear horizontal (SH) mode and high-order SH mode are simultaneously excited through electrode thickness modulation. The impact of electrode thickness on the performance of the dual-mode resonator was systematically investigated by the finite element method (FEM), and resonators were prepared and verified the simulation results. The electromechanical coupling coefficients (K2) of the SH modes are 15.1% and 17.0%, while the maximum Bode-Q (Qmax) values are 150 and 247, respectively, for the fabricated resonators with wavelengths of 1 µm and 1.1 µm. In terms of the high-order SH modes in these resonators, the K2 values are 9.8% and 8.4%, and Qmax values are 190 and 262, respectively. The fabricated dual-band filter shows the center frequencies (fc) of 3065 MHz and 4808 MHz as two bands, with 3-dB fractional bandwidths (FBW) of 5.1% and 5.9%, respectively. Such a dual-band SAW filter based on a conventional ladder topology is meaningful in terms of its compact layout and diminished area occupancy. This work provides a promising avenue to constitute a high-performance dual-passband SAW filter for sub-6 GHz RF application.

Single-cell Stereo-seq reveals induced progenitor cells involved in axolotl brain regeneration.

The molecular mechanism underlying brain regeneration in vertebrates remains elusive. We performed spatial enhanced resolution omics sequencing (Stereo-seq) to capture spatially resolved single-cell transcriptomes of axolotl telencephalon sections during development and regeneration. Annotated cell types exhibited distinct spatial distribution, molecular features, and functions. We identified an injury-induced ependymoglial cell cluster at the wound site as a progenitor cell population for the potential replenishment of lost neurons, through a cell state transition process resembling neurogenesis during development. Transcriptome comparisons indicated that these induced cells may originate from local resident ependymoglial cells. We further uncovered spatially defined neurons at the lesion site that may regress to an immature neuron-like state. Our work establishes spatial transcriptome profiles of an anamniote tetrapod brain and decodes potential neurogenesis from ependymoglial cells for development and regeneration, thus providing mechanistic insights into vertebrate brain regeneration.

A General FEM Model for Analysis of Third-Order Nonlinearity in RF Surface Acoustic Wave Devices Based on Perturbation Theory.

This article presents a general-purpose model that enables efficient and accurate calculation of third-order nonlinear signals in surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices. This model is based on piezoelectric constitutive equations combined with perturbation theory, which can be analyzed by full finite element method (FEM). For validation, third-order harmonic (H3) responses and intermodulation distortions (IMD3) in SAW resonators are simulated, and their calculation results fit well to experimental data in the literature. Then, the generation mechanisms of the third-order nonlinearity in SAW resonators are discussed. The dominant generation mechanisms for different nonlinear signals and the relation between electrode materials and H3 peak magnitude are revealed, which provides an important guideline for further nonlinear suppression.

Construction of the axolotl cell landscape using combinatorial hybridization sequencing at single-cell resolution.

The Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is a well-established tetrapod model for regeneration and developmental studies. Remarkably, neotenic axolotls may undergo metamorphosis, a process that triggers many dramatic changes in diverse organs, accompanied by gradually decline of their regeneration capacity and lifespan. However, the molecular regulation and cellular changes in neotenic and metamorphosed axolotls are still poorly investigated. Here, we develop a single-cell sequencing method based on combinatorial hybridization to generate a tissue-based transcriptomic landscape of the neotenic and metamorphosed axolotls. We perform gene expression profiling of over 1 million single cells across 19 tissues to construct the first adult axolotl cell landscape. Comparison of single-cell transcriptomes between the tissues of neotenic and metamorphosed axolotls reveal the heterogeneity of non-immune parenchymal cells in different tissues and established their regulatory network. Furthermore, we describe dynamic gene expression patterns during limb development in neotenic axolotls. This system-level single-cell analysis of molecular characteristics in neotenic and metamorphosed axolotls, serves as a resource to explore the molecular identity of the axolotl and facilitates better understanding of metamorphosis.

Fractional Bandwidth up to 24% and Spurious Free SAW Filters on Bulk 15°YX-LiNbO3 Substrates Using Thickness-Modulated IDT Structures.

To cope with ubiquitous wireless connectivity and the increased and faster data delivery in 5G communication, surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters are progressively requiring wider bandwidths. Conventional bulk 15°YX-LiNbO3 substrates with a large coupling coefficient (K2) are attractive for the low-cost mass production of wideband SAW filters, but these generally suffer from spurious responses, limiting their practical application. In this work, a novel and simple SAW configuration is proposed that uses thickness-modulated interdigital transducer (IDT) structures to overcome the limitations set by spurious responses. Different from the conventional design where the thicknesses of the IDT electrodes in the series and parallel resonators generally kept the same, the proposed configuration adopts IDT electrodes of different thicknesses in the series and shunt resonators to suppress or remove unwanted spurious Rayleigh modes from the filter passband. Two different ultra-wideband SAW filter designs employing thickness-modulated IDTs were designed and fabricated to validate the effective suppression of spurious modes. The SAW filters experimentally featured spurious-free responses in the passband as well as a large 3 dB fractional bandwidth (FBW) in the 18.0% and 24.1% ranges and low insertion losses below 1 dB. This work can significantly broaden the range of applications for SAW devices and can open a pathway to commercialize ultra-wideband SAW filters in 5G communication systems.

Large-Range Spurious Mode Elimination for Wideband SAW Filters on LiNbO3/SiO2/Si Platform by LiNbO3 Cut Angle Modulation.

A LiNbO3 (LN)/SiO2/Si multilayered structure was recently reported as a new platform for achieving wideband radio frequency (RF) filters. However, the in-band ripples in filters resulting from the spurious Rayleigh mode lead to deteriorated performance, and thus, a wide Rayleigh elimination window (REW) is highly desired for realizing spurious-free wideband surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters with a wide design space and good process tolerance. Here, we investigated the spurious mode suppression on the LN/SiO2/Si platform theoretically and experimentally through modulating the cut angle ( θ ) of LN. The K2 dispersion characteristics of the main mode (shear-horizontal wave) and spurious mode (Rayleigh wave) on LN/SiO2/Si substrates were systematically analyzed by the finite-element method (FEM), along with bulk LN for comparison. It is found that the REW is wider on LN/SiO2/Si than bulk LN, as Rayleigh wave can be totally eliminated with Cu electrode normalized thickness ( [Formula: see text]) ranging from 0.1 to 0.19 when θ is between 19° and 22° on the LN/SiO2/Si platform, in contrast to the quite narrow REW on bulk LN restricted to some specific [Formula: see text]. To verify the simulation results, resonators were prepared on 15°YX-LN/SiO2/Si, 20°YX-LN/SiO2/Si, bulk 15°YX-LN, and bulk 20°YX-LN. In addition, the typical spurious-free wideband SAW filter with [Formula: see text] nm based on the 20°YX-LN/SiO2/Si platform demonstrates high performance with a center frequency ( [Formula: see text]) of 1.27 GHz, a minimum insertion loss (ILmin) of 0.7 dB, and a 3-dB fractional bandwidth (FBW) of ~20.1%. This work provides a workable solution in fabricating spurious-free wideband and low-loss SAW filters for fifth-generation (5G) applications.

Structure with thin SiOx/SiNx bilayer and Al electrodes for high-frequency, large-coupling, and low-cost surface acoustic wave devices.

With the development of fifth-generation wireless systems, the Internet of Things, and health services, surface acoustic wave (SAW)-based filters and sensors have attracted considerable interest. This study presents a new structure for high-frequency, large-coupling, and low-cost SAW devices that helps implement high-frequency and wideband filters and enhances the sensitivity of sensors. The structure is based on 15°Y-X LiNbO3, thin SiOx/SiNx bilayer overlay, and Al electrodes. Furthermore, a low-cost fabrication process for SAW devices based on this structure was designed. Simulation and experimental results show that the bilayer substantially weakens the leaky nature of shear-horizontal-type SAWs with a phase velocity higher than that of a slow-shear bulk wave in LiNbO3. Thus, the limitation related to the velocity of 4029 m/s was overcome, and the phase velocity reached approximately 4500 m/s, which means an increase of 50% compared with that of conventional Cu/15°Y-X LiNbO3 devices. Consequently, the frequency dramatically increases, and the quality of the SAW response is ensured. Simultaneously, a large electromechanical coupling factor close to 20% can be achieved, which is still suitable for wideband filters and sensors with high energy transduction coefficients. This new structure is expected to become a major candidate for SAW devices in the future.

Periodic Analysis of Surface Acoustic Wave Resonator with Dimensionally Reduced PDE Model Using COMSOL Code.

Radio-frequency (RF) surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators used as filters and duplexers are mass-produced and widely used in current mobile phones. With the numerous emergences of the diverse device structure, a universal method used for the accurate and fast simulation of the SAW resonator calls for urgent demand. However, there are too many instances where the behavior of the entire acoustic resonator cannot be characterized rapidly and efficiently due to limitations in the current computer memory and speed. This is especially true for SAW resonators configured with long arrays of inter-digital transducers (IDTs), and we have to resort to a periodic analysis. In this paper, the previously reported generalized partial differential equations (PDE) based on the two-dimensional finite element method (2D-FEM) model is extended to analysis for the periodic structure of the SAW resonator. We present model order reduction (MOR) techniques based on FEM and periodic boundary conditions to achieve a dimensionally reduced PDE model without decreasing the accuracy of computations. Examples of different SAW devices, including the regular SAW, IHP-SAW and TC-SAW resonators, are provided which shows the results of the periodic analysis compared with the experimental results of the actual resonators. The investigation results demonstrate the properties of the proposed methodology and prove its effectiveness and accuracy.

Hybrid Full-Wave Analysis of Surface Acoustic Wave Devices for Accuracy and Fast Performance Prediction.

In this paper, a hybrid full-wave analysis of surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices is proposed to achieve accurate and fast simulation. The partial differential equation (PDE) models of the physical system in question and graphics processing unit (GPU)-assisted hierarchical cascading technology (HCT) are used to calculate acoustic-electric characteristics of a SAW filter. The practical solid model of the radio frequency (RF) filter package is constructed in High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS) software and the parasitic electromagnetics of the entire package is considered in the design process. The PDE-based models of the two-dimensional finite element method (2D-FEM) are derived in detail and solved by the PDE module embedded in COMSOL Multiphysics. Due to the advantages of PDE-based 2D-FEM, it is universal, efficient and not restricted to handling arbitrary materials and crystal cuts, electrode shapes, and multi-layered substrate. Combining COMSOL Multiphysics with a user-friendly interface, a flexible way of modeling and mesh generation, it can greatly reduce the complicated process of modeling and physical properties definition. Based on a hybrid full-wave analysis, we present an example application of this approach on a TC-SAW ladder filter with 5° YX-cut LiNbO3 substrate. Numerical results and measurements were calculated for comparison, and the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method were verified.

Geometric Nonlinear Model for Prediction of Frequency-Temperature Behavior of SAW Devices for Nanosensor Applications.

Surface acoustic wave (SAW)-based sensors have become highly valued for their use as nanosensors in industrial applications. Accurate prediction of the thermal stability is a key problem for sensor design. In this work, a numerical tool based on the finite element method combined with piezoelectric Lagrangian equations has been developed to accurately predict the thermal sensitivity characteristics of surface acoustic wave devices. Theoretical analysis for the geometric nonlinearity contributing to the frequency-temperature characteristic and material constants' dependency on temperature were taken into consideration. The thermomechanical equilibrium equation built on the three-dimensional finite element method (3D-FEM) mesh node took mesh movement into account because thermal expansion was employed. The frequency-temperature characteristics of different SAW modes, including Rayleigh waves and leaky waves excited on a piezoelectric substrate of quartz or lithium tantalate, respectively, were calculated. The theoretical accuracy of the proposed numerical tool was verified by experiments.

Enhanced Performance of ZnO/SiO2/Al2O3 Surface Acoustic Wave Devices with Embedded Electrodes.

With the advent of the 5G era, surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices with a larger bandwidth and better temperature stability are strongly required, meanwhile the dimensions of devices are continuously scaling down. In this work, a new layout of ZnO/SiO2/Al2O3 SAW devices with embedded electrodes was developed, and with the help of the finite element method (FEM), the propagation characteristics were simulated. Through adopting embedded electrodes, a large electromechanical coupling coefficient (K2) of 6.6% for the Rayleigh mode can be achieved (5 times larger than that of the conventional ZnO/Al2O3 structure), feasible for wideband SAW devices, and a low acoustic velocity (Vp) of 2960 m/s is exhibited simultaneously, which benefits the miniaturization of SAW devices. The dramatic enhancement of K2 is mainly attributed to the more efficient excitation of SAW in piezoelectric films. Furthermore, a SiO2 overlay is added on the top of the structure to gain an excellent zero temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF). Experimentally, we successfully fabricated SAW one-port resonators based on the proposed structure and good characteristics of high K2, low Vp, and small TCF as simulated were confirmed. Our results show that the proposed structure provides a viable route to design SAW devices with a large bandwidth, small size, and robust temperature compensation for practical use.

The Mechanism of Rap1 Regulates N-cadherin to Control Neuronal Migration.

Rap1 and N-cadherin regulate glia-independent translocation of cortical neurons. It remains unclear how Rap1 regulates N-cadherin-mediated neuronal migration. Here, we overexpressed Rap1gap in mouse brains (embryonic day 16) to inactivate Rap1, and observed that neurons did not migrate to the outer layer. We confirmed that Rap1 was involved in the regulation of late neurons in vivo. Rap1gap overexpression and Rap1 suppression in CHO cells decreased the expression of cytoskeletal proteins such as tubulin. Changes in the expression of cell morphology regulators, such as N-cadherin and ß-catenin, were also observed. Inhibition of N-cadherin in mouse brains prevented neuronal migration to the outer layer. The morphology of CHO cells was changed after overexpression of Rap1gap. We propose that Rap1 regulates the expression of N-cadherin during embryonic development, which affects ß-catenin expression. Beta-catenin in turn regulates cytoskeletal protein expression, ultimately affecting neuronal morphology and migration.

N-Cadherin Upregulation Promotes the Neurogenic Differentiation of Menstrual Blood-Derived Endometrial Stem Cells.

Peripheral nerve injuries are typically caused by either trauma or medical disorders, and recently, stem cell-based therapies have provided a promising treatment approach. Menstrual blood-derived endometrial stem cells (MenSCs) are considered an ideal therapeutic option for peripheral nerve repair due to a noninvasive collection procedure and their high proliferation rate and immunological tolerance. Here, we successfully isolated MenSCs and examined their biological characteristics including their morphology, multipotency, and immunophenotype. Subsequent in vitro studies demonstrated that MenSCs express high levels of neurotrophic factors, such as NT3, NT4, BDNF, and NGF, and are capable of transdifferentiating into glial-like cells under conventional induction conditions. Moreover, upregulation of N-cadherin (N-cad) mRNA and protein expression was observed after neurogenic differentiation. In vivo studies clearly showed that N-cad knockdown via in utero electroporation perturbed the migration and maturation of mouse neural precursor cells (NPCs). Finally, a further transfection assay also confirmed that N-cad upregulation in MenSCs results in the expression of S100. Collectively, our results confirmed the paracrine effect of MenSCs on neuroprotection as well as their potential for transdifferentiation into glial-like cells and demonstrated that N-cad upregulation promotes the neurogenic differentiation of MenSCs, thereby providing support for transgenic MenSC-based therapy for peripheral nerve injury.

Pax3 overexpression induces cell aggregation and perturbs commissural axon projection during embryonic spinal cord development.

Pax3 is a transcription factor that belongs to the paired box family. In the developing spinal cord it is expressed in the dorsal commissural neurons, which project ascending axons contralaterally to form proper spinal cord-brain circuitry. While it has been shown that Pax3 induces cell aggregation in vitro, little is known about the role of Pax3 in cell aggregation and spinal circuit formation in vivo. We have reported that Pax3 is involved in neuron differentiation and that its overexpression induces ectopic cadherin-7 expression. In this study we report that Pax3 overexpression also induces cell aggregation in vivo. Tissue sections and open book preparations revealed that Pax3 overexpression prevents commissural axons from projecting to the contralateral side of the spinal cord. Cells overexpressing Pax3 aggregated in cell clusters that contained shortened neurites with perturbed axon growth and elongation. Pax3-specific shRNA partially rescued the morphological change induced by Pax3 overexpression in vivo. Our results indicate that the normal expression of Pax3 is necessary for proper axonal pathway finding and commissural axon projection. In conclusion, Pax3 regulates neural circuit formation during embryonic development. J. Comp. Neurol. 525:1618-1632, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.