title: Semaphorins command cells to move.
abstract: Semaphorins are secreted or transmembrane proteins that regulate cell motility and attachment in axon guidance, vascular growth, immune cell regulation and tumour progression. The main receptors for semaphorins are plexins, which have established roles in regulating Rho-family GTPases. Recent work shows that plexins can also influence R-Ras, which, in turn, can regulate integrins. Such regulation is probably a common feature of semaphorin signalling and contributes substantially to our understanding of semaphorin biology.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Program and Institute of Gerontology, Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, 210 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Robert P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Kruger
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aurandt
authors.forename: Kun-Liang
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Guan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000502:physiology; D016023:Integrins / Q000378:metabolism; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D039961:Semaphorins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D016023:Integrins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D039961:Semaphorins; C091529:plexin; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases; C085929:RRAS protein, human; D018631:ras Proteins; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins