ABSTRACT
Introduction ................................................................................................ 111 Discovery and function of neuropilins .................................................. 112 NRP structure and ligand binding ......................................................... 113 Regulation of gene expression................................................................. 117 Neuropilins in vascular development and angiogenesis.................... 119 Semaphorins and angiogenesis ............................................................... 122 Neuropilins in tumor angiogenesis and cancer.................................... 123 NRPs in the immune system ................................................................... 124 Perspectives................................................................................................. 125 References.................................................................................................... 126
Introduction The development of the nervous system is highly dependent on processes such as the migration of certain neuronal subpopulations and axonal path finding. During the past decade, a number of guidance cues that regulate these processes have been identified. These guidance systems consist of either soluble or cell surface-bound ligands that interact with receptors on responsive cells, thereby conferring attractive or repulsive signals. The ligand-receptor pairs ephrin-eph, semaphorin-neuropilin, slit-robo, and netrin-UNC are the major regulators of neuronal guidance.1 There is increasing evidence that these regulators of neuronal guidance also regulate angiogenesis. This article
will focus on the role of semaphorin and neuropilin activities in vascular and tumor biology.
