Repulsion or adhesion: receptors make the call.
Repulsive signaling plays a prominent role in regulating cell-cell interactions and is fundamental to multiple developmental processes. A proper balance between repulsion from and adhesion to other cells or the extracellular matrix is also important. Semaphorin-Plexin and ephrin-Eph ligand-receptor pairs compose two major repulsive signaling systems. Recent advances have elucidated mechanisms by which Semaphorin-Plexin and ephrin-Eph signaling control repulsion versus adhesion. Semaphorins act through a complex signaling pathway to inhibit integrin-mediated adhesion, allowing cell repulsion. Ephrin-Eph interactions can directly mediate cell adhesion and several mechanisms control whether ephrin-Eph binding and signaling induces repulsion or adhesion.
Halloran
Mary C
MC
Department of Zoology, Madison, WI 53706, USA. mchalloran@wisc.edu
Wolman
Marc A
MA
D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism; D036342:Ephrins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D039961:Semaphorins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D036342:Ephrins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D039961:Semaphorins; C091529:plexin