Dynamic control of neuronal morphogenesis by rho signaling

Polarization of the neuronal cell body and initiation of the first neuritic process represent the starting point of a series of dynamic metamorphic events by which the newly acquired identity of a group of neurons can be translated into a morphologically complex web of three-dimensional neuronal circuit. Despite the critical importance of these events, little is known about the molecular signaling mechanisms that either regulate the temporal sequence of these steps or ensure the accuracy and the spatial consistency of the resulting circuits. In this review, based on recent findings from our group and others, we present a working model on how the initial events in neuronal morphogenesis in the CNS may be controlled by multiple Rho pathways.