Rho and Ras GTPases in Axon Growth, Guidance, and Branching

  1. Alan Hall1 and
  2. Giovanna Lalli2
  1. 1Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Cell Biology Program, New York, New York 10065
  2. 2Wolfson Centre for Age-related Diseases, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
  1. Correspondence: giovanna.lalli{at}kcl.ac.uk

Abstract

The establishment of precise neuronal cell morphology provides the foundation for all aspects of neurobiology. During development, axons emerge from cell bodies after an initial polarization stage, elongate, and navigate towards target regions guided by a range of environmental cues. The Rho and Ras families of small GTPases have emerged as critical players at all stages of axonogenesis. Their ability to coordinately direct multiple signal transduction pathways with precise spatial control drives many of the activities that underlie this morphogenetic program: the dynamic assembly, disassembly, and reorganization of the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons, the interaction of the growing axon with other cells and extracellular matrix, the delivery of lipids and proteins to the axon through the exocytic machinery, and the internalization of membrane and proteins at the leading edge of the growth cone through endocytosis. This article highlights the contribution of Rho and Ras GTPases to axonogenesis.

Footnotes

  • Editors: Marc Tessier-Lavigne and Alex L. Kolodkin

  • Additional Perspectives on Neuronal Guidance available at www.cshperspectives.org



Also in this Collection

      | Table of Contents

      This Article

      1. Cold Spring Harb. Perspect. Biol. 2: a001818 Copyright © 2010 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved

      Article Category

      Updates/Comments

      1. Submit Updates/Comments
      2. No Updates/Comments published

      Subject Collections

      1. Neuronal Guidance

      Share

      In this Collection