Abstract
Neural circuit formation requires the coordination of many complex developmental processes. First, neurons project axons over long distances to find their final targets and then establish appropriate connectivity essential for the formation of neuronal circuitry. Growth cones, the leading edges of axons, navigate by interacting with a variety of attractive and repulsive axon guidance cues along their trajectories and at final target regions. In addition to guidance of axons, neuronal polarization, neuronal migration, and dendrite development must be precisely regulated during development to establish proper neural circuitry. Semaphorins consist of a large protein family, which includes secreted and cell surface proteins, and they play important roles in many steps of neural circuit formation. The major semaphorin receptors are plexins and neuropilins, however other receptors and co-receptors also mediate signaling by semaphorins. Upon semaphorin binding to their receptors, downstream signaling molecules transduce this event within cells to mediate further events, including alteration of microtubule and actin cytoskeletal dynamics. Here, I review recent studies on semaphorin signaling in vertebrate neural circuit assembly, with the goal of highlighting how this diverse family of cues and receptors imparts exquisite specificity to neural complex connectivity.
Highlights
Yutaka Yoshida*Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
Neural circuit formation requires the coordination of many complex developmental processes
Several reviews cover work over the last two decades on the roles played by semaphorins in the nervous system (Mann et al, 2007; Tran et al, 2007; Pasterkamp and Giger, 2009), so here I focus on recent studies related to neural circuit assembly
Summary
Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA. I review recent studies on semaphorin signaling in vertebrate neural circuit assembly, with the goal of highlighting how this diverse family of cues and receptors imparts exquisite specificity to neural complex connectivity. SEMAPHORINS AND THEIR RECEPTORS Semaphorins (Semas), which consist of 20 family members in vertebrates, are one of the largest families of guidance cues. Semaphorins include both secreted and membrane-bound proteins, and they serve a variety of roles in the peripheral and central nervous system (PNS and CNS; reviewed in Mann et al, 2007; Tran et al, 2007; Pasterkamp and Giger, 2009). Several reviews cover work over the last two decades on the roles played by semaphorins in the nervous system (Mann et al, 2007; Tran et al, 2007; Pasterkamp and Giger, 2009), so here I focus on recent studies related to neural circuit assembly
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