Eph signaling: a structural view.
Eph receptors, the largest subfamily of receptor tyrosine kinases, and their ephrin ligands are important mediators of cell-cell communication regulating cell attachment, shape and mobility. Both Ephs and ephrins are membrane-bound and their interactions at sites of cell-cell contact initiate unique bidirectional signaling cascades, with information transduced in both the receptor-expressing and the ligand-expressing cells. Recent structural and biophysical studies summarized in this review reveal unique molecular features not previously observed in any other receptor-ligand families and explain many of the biochemical and signaling properties of Ephs and ephrins. Of particular importance is the insight into how approximation of ligand-expressing and receptor-expressing cells could lead to the formation and activation of highly ordered signaling centers at cell-cell interfaces.
Himanen
Juha-Pekka
JP
Cellular Biochemistry and Biophysics Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA.
Nikolov
Dimitar B
DB
D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D036342:Ephrins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D008024:Ligands; D011487:Protein Conformation; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D036081:Receptors, Eph Family / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
D036342:Ephrins; D008024:Ligands; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D036081:Receptors, Eph Family