The role of the Eph-ephrin signalling system in the regulation of developmental patterning

Mark G Coulthard, Shannon Duffy, Michelle Down, Betty Evans, Maryanne Power, Fiona M Smith, Con Stylianou, Sabine Hildegard Wimmer-Kleikamp, Andrew Oates, Martin Lackmann, Gordon F Burns, Andrew W Boyd

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54 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The Eph and ephrin system, consisting of fourteen Eph receptor tyrosine kinase proteins and nine ephrin membrane proteins in vertebrates, has been implicated in the regulation of many critical events during development. Binding of cell surface Eph and ephrin proteins results in bi-directional signals, which regulate the cytoskeletal, adhesive and motile properties of the interacting cells. Through these signals Eph and ephrin proteins are involved in early embryonic cell movements, which establish the germ layers, cell movements involved in formation of tissue boundaries and the pathfinding of axons. This review focuses on two vertebrate models, the zebrafish and mouse, in which experimental perturbation of Eph and/or ephrin expression in vivo have provided important insights into the role and functioning of the Eph/ephrin system.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)375 - 384
Number of pages10
JournalInternational Journal of Developmental Biology
Volume46
Issue number4
Publication statusPublished - 2002

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