Assembly of Neuronal Connectivity by Neurotrophic Factors and Leucine-Rich Repeat Proteins

LEDDA F; PARATCHA G

Frontiers in cellular neuroscience

Frontiers

Lugar: Basel; Año: 2016

Proper function of the nervous system critically relies on sophisticated neuronal networksinterconnected in a highly specific pattern. The architecture of these connectionsarises from sequential developmental steps such as axonal growth and guidance,dendrite development, target determination, synapse formation and plasticity. Leucinerichrepeat (LRR) transmembrane proteins have been involved in cell-type specificsignaling pathways that underlie these developmental processes. The members of thissuperfamily of proteins execute their functions acting as trans-synaptic cell adhesionmolecules involved in target specificity and synapse formation or working in cis ascell-intrinsic modulators of neurotrophic factor receptor trafficking and signaling. In thisreview, we will focus on novel physiological mechanisms through which LRR proteinsregulate neurotrophic factor receptor signaling, highlighting the importance of thesemodulatory events for proper axonal extension and guidance, tissue innervation anddendrite morphogenesis. Additionally, we discuss few examples linking this set of LRRproteins to neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders.