Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026
04:36
Assay for Adhesion and Agar Invasion in S. cerevisiae
Published on: November 8, 2006
Emerging roles for MAP kinases in agrin signaling
1Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics; College of Medicine; Texas A&M Health Science Center; College Station, TX USA.
Communicative & Integrative Biology
|June 10, 2011
Summary
Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are involved in agrin signaling at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Emerging evidence suggests MAPKs also play a role in agrin
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Synapses are crucial for information transfer in the nervous system.
- The vertebrate neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a key model synapse.
- Agrin, an extracellular matrix proteoglycan, organizes the NMJ, with unclear functions elsewhere.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review evidence for mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) involvement in agrin signaling.
- To explore agrin's role in brain synapse formation.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing scientific literature.
- Analysis of signaling pathways involving agrin and MAPKs.
Main Results:
- Agrin signaling at the NMJ involves a complex pathway.
- MAPKs are implicated in agrin signaling at the NMJ.
- Agrin may function in the formation of specific brain synapses.
Conclusions:
- MAPKs are integral to agrin signaling at the NMJ.
- Agrin's role extends beyond the NMJ, potentially influencing brain synapse development.
Related Concept Videos
01:07MAPK Signaling Cascades
Mitogen-activated protein kinase, or MAPK pathway, activates three sequential kinases to regulate cellular responses such as proliferation, differentiation, survival, and apoptosis. The canonical MAPK pathway starts with a mitogen or growth factor binding to an RTK. The activated RTKs stimulate Ras, which recruits Raf or MAP3 Kinase (MAPKKK), the first kinase of the MAPK signaling cascade. Raf further phosphorylates and activates MEK or MAP2 Kinases (MAPKK), which in turn phosphorylates MAP...
01:42Microtubule Associated Proteins (MAPs)
Microtubule function and architecture are regulated by an array of specialized proteins called microtubule-associated proteins or MAPs. These proteins are widespread across different organisms and have conserved protein motifs, like the multi-TOG domain for tubulin binding found in the CLASP family of MAPs. Some MAPs are lineage-specific based on their conserved domains. Their functions depend upon the cytoskeletal architecture and cell type they are located within. In-plant cells, a specific...
01:17Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions
Integrins act both as extracellular input receivers and as intracellular processing activators. As their name suggests, integrins are entirely integrated into the membrane structure. Their hydrophobic membrane-spanning regions interact with the phospholipid bilayer's hydrophobic region. These membrane receptors provide extracellular attachment sites for effectors like hormones and growth factors. They activate intracellular response cascades when their effectors are bound and active.
Some...
Some...
01:19Interactions Between Signaling Pathways
Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
01:24Small GTPases - Ras and Rho
Ras and Rho are small monomeric GTPases that act downstream of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) and regulate various cellular processes. These GTPases switch between active and inactive states by binding to guanine nucleotides.
Three regulatory proteins control their activity:
Three regulatory proteins control their activity:
01:25Cell Signaling in Plants
Plant cells communicate to coordinate their cycle of growth, flowering and fruiting, and activities in roots, shoots, and leaves in response to the changing environmental conditions. Plant signaling is distinct from animal signaling. Plants primarily utilize enzyme-linked receptors, whereas the largest class of cell-surface receptors in animals are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Unlike animals, receptor tyrosine kinases are rare in plants. Instead, plants have a diverse class of...