title: Involvement of the neuregulins and their receptors in cardiac and neural development.
abstract: The neuregulin gene encodes a series of polypeptide growth factors that can influence the growth state of target vertebrate cells in culture. Recently, three studies have explored the in vivo function of the neuregulin signaling system in mice by disrupting the genes encoding the neuregulin ligand(1) and two of its receptors, ErbB2(2) and ErbB4(3). Each of the genes is essential for development, and aberrations in cardiac and neural development are particularly prominent in mutant embryos. The observed defects, together with the localization of expression of the neuregulin signaling components within these tissues, highlight a paracrine mechanism for neuregulin-mediated intercellular communication.
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. kcarrawa@mercury.harvard.bih.edu
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Carraway
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004699:Endocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development*; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D020880:Neuregulins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020893:Receptor, ErbB-3; D066247:Receptor, ErbB-4; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D006023:Glycoproteins; D006133:Growth Substances; D020880:Neuregulins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D066246:ErbB Receptors; C587690:Erbb4 protein, mouse; D020893:Receptor, ErbB-3; D066247:Receptor, ErbB-4