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Neuropilin is a semaphorin III receptor
A L Kolodkin1, D V Levengood, E G Rowe
1Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205-2185, USA.
Cell
|August 22, 1997
Summary
Neuropilin acts as a receptor for Semaphorin III (Sema III), a protein crucial for repulsive axon guidance during nervous system development. This discovery sheds light on the molecular mechanisms underlying neural development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- The semaphorin family comprises conserved proteins involved in repulsive axon guidance.
- Semaphorin III (Sema III) is a secreted protein essential for sensory afferent innervation and neural development, but its mechanism of action is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the receptor for Semaphorin III (Sema III).
- To investigate the role of neuropilin and its family member, neuropilin-2, in neural development.
Main Methods:
- Protein interaction studies to identify Sema III receptor.
- Expression analysis of neuropilin and neuropilin-2 in the embryonic rat nervous system.
Main Results:
- Neuropilin, a type I transmembrane protein, was identified as a Semaphorin III (Sema III) receptor.
- Neuropilin-2, a related family member, was identified.
- Both neuropilin and neuropilin-2 are expressed in overlapping yet distinct neuronal populations in the embryonic rat nervous system.
Conclusions:
- Neuropilin functions as a receptor for Semaphorin III (Sema III), elucidating a key mechanism in repulsive axon guidance.
- The identification and expression patterns of neuropilin and neuropilin-2 suggest their involvement in specific aspects of neuronal development and connectivity.
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