[Neuregulins: A family of factors with critical functions during nervous system development and in the cellular transformation and differentiation].
BACKGROUND
The neuregulins are a family of factors that perform important functions during the development of the nervous system, neuromuscular junction and heart. These factors are also involved in nervous system disorders, and in the generation and progression of tumors.


METHODS
There are four genes and many isoforms which share a similar molecular structure. The neuregulins are differentially expressed and bind with different affinities to specific combinations of ErbB receptors. This level of complexity is directing numerous researching in order to understand the molecular mechanisms that regulate a specific pathway.


CONCLUSIONS
Neuregulin ErbB receptor complexes activate specific intracellular pathways that culminate in very different fates: differentiation or proliferation.
Longart
M
M
Section on Molecular Neurobiology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. longartm@mail.nih.gov
Buonanno
A
A
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D006321:Heart / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009420:Nervous System / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000378:metabolism; D020880:Neuregulins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
D020880:Neuregulins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases