title: Eph/ephrin signaling in morphogenesis, neural development and plasticity.
abstract: Ephrins are cell-surface-tethered ligands for Eph receptors, the largest family of receptor tyrosine kinases. During development, the Eph/ephrin cell communication system appears to influence cell behavior such as attraction/repulsion, adhesion/de-adhesion and migration, thereby influencing cell fate, morphogenesis and organogenesis. During adulthood, the Eph/ephrin system continues to play roles in tissue plasticity, for example in shaping dendritic spines during neuronal plasticity. Mechanistically, Eph-ephrin repulsive behavior appears to require ligand-receptor internalization and signaling to Rho GTPases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max-Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Munich-Martinsried, Germany. rklein@neuro.mpg.de
authors.forename: Rüdiger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Klein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D049229:Dendritic Spines / Q000378:metabolism; D036342:Ephrins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008024:Ligands; D008954:Models, Biological; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009420:Nervous System / Q000196:embryology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D036081:Receptors, Eph Family / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D036342:Ephrins; D008024:Ligands; D036081:Receptors, Eph Family; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins