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Intracellular signaling pathways that regulate dendritic spine morphogenesis
Author(s) -
Nakayama Ann Y.,
Luo Liqun
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
hippocampus
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.767
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1098-1063
pISSN - 1050-9631
DOI - 10.1002/1098-1063(2000)10:5<582::aid-hipo8>3.0.co;2-k
Subject(s) - microbiology and biotechnology , guanine nucleotide exchange factor , dendritic spine , gtpase , cytoskeleton , morphogenesis , cdc42 , actin cytoskeleton , signal transduction , rac gtp binding proteins , extracellular , chemistry , intracellular , pak1 , actin , rac1 , neuroscience , biology , cell , biochemistry , gene , hippocampal formation
Rac is a member of the Rho family of small GTPases and acts as a molecular switch. When GTP‐bound, Rac binds specific effectors to induce downstream signaling events, including actin cytoskeletal rearrangements (Hall, Science 1998;279:509–514). Herein we review the recent evidence suggesting that Rac is involved in the morphogenesis of dendritic spines (Luo et al., Nature 1996;379:837–840; Nakayama et al., J Neurosci 2000; 20:5329–5338). In addition, we discuss how Rac activity is regulated by guanine nucleotide exchange factors, which may be further regulated by extracellular factors. Thus, the Rac signal transduction pathway may provide links between extracellular ligands or synaptic activity and the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton in spine morphogenesis. Hippocampus 2000;10:582–586. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.