Abstract
Semaphorins are a family of structurally related proteins that can repel or attract growth cones of developing axons. Growth cones detect semaphorins in the extracellular space through receptor complexes that contain a member of the plexin family. Plexins interact with various other proteins, including neuropilins and cell adhesion molecules, and form multimeric receptor complexes that are specialized in the detection of specific semaphorin family members. Loss-of-function studies in mice have provided compelling evidence for the notion that chemorepulsion is an essential element of the total arsenal of coordinated morphogenetic processes that shape the brain's circuitry. The function of semaphorins in plasticity and regeneration of the mature nervous system is under intense study and may unveil novel and unexpected roles for these proteins in neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Encyclopedia of Neuroscience |
| Publisher | Elsevier |
| Pages | 567-573 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780080450469 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Dec 2010 |
Keywords
- Axon guidance
- Axon pruning
- Axon regeneration
- Chemorepulsion
- Collapse
- Growth cone
- Neurodegeneration
- Neurodevelopment
- Plasticity
- Semaphorin