title: Morphogenic signaling in neurons via neurotransmitter receptors and small GTPases.
abstract: Several neurotransmitters including serotonin and glutamate have been shown to be involved in many aspects of neural development, such as neurite outgrowth, regulation of neuronal morphology, growth cone motility and dendritic spine shape and density, in addition to their well-established role in neuronal communication. This review focuses on recent advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying neurotransmitter-induced changes in neuronal morphology. In the first part of the review, we introduce the roles of small GTPases of the Rho family in morphogenic signaling in neurons and discuss signaling pathways, which may link serotonin, operating as a soluble guidance factor, and the Rho GTPase machinery, controlling neuronal morphology and motility. In the second part of the review, we focus on glutamate-induced neuroplasticity and discuss the evidence on involvement of Rho and Ras GTPases in functional and structural synaptic plasticity triggered by the activation of glutamate receptors.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Neuro- und Sinnesphysiologie, Physiologisches Institut, Universität Göttingen, Humboldtallee 23, Göttingen, 37073, Germany. eponima@gwdg.de
authors.forename: Evgeni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ponimaskin
authors.forename: Tatyana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Voyno-Yasenetskaya
authors.forename: Diethelm W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.forename: Melitta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schachner
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dityatev
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D048430:Cell Shape; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism*; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D020703:ras GTPase-Activating Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D020703:ras GTPase-Activating Proteins; D012701:Serotonin; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins