title: Semaphorin junction: making tracks toward neural connectivity.
abstract: Semaphorins constitute one of the largest families of repulsive and attractive growth cone guidance proteins. They affect the growth cone's actin cytoskeleton through interactions with receptor complexes composed of ligand-binding, signal-transducing, and modulatory subunits. Our understanding of the intracellular signal transduction machinery linking semaphorins to actin dynamics is limited; however, recent advances provide a more comprehensive view of the molecular basis of neuronal semaphorin signaling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA. jeroen_pasterkamp@yahoo.com
authors.forename: R Jeroen
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Pasterkamp
authors.forename: Alex L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Kolodkin
mesh_terms: D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics; D020439:Growth Cones / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006801:Humans; D009420:Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D039961:Semaphorins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D039961:Semaphorins