Eph/ephrin对树突棘的调控与中枢神经系统疾病

树突棘是神经元树突上的功能性突起结构,通常作为突触后成份与投射来的轴突共同构成完整的突触连接。树突棘的形态与结构具有明显的可塑性,其变化通常会引起突触功能的改变。Eph受体酪氨酸激酶家族分子与其配体ephrin都是重要的神经导向因子,同时对树突棘结构也有直接的调控作用。Eph受体的活化可以促进树突棘的发生并影响树突棘的形态及内部结构;而Eph受体的异常也往往会损害正常的突触功能,甚至导致许多与树突棘结构异常相关的神经系统病变的发生。

The Regulation of Eph/ephrin to the Dendritic Spine and Central Nervous System Diseases

Dendritic spines are functional protrusions on neuron dendrites and generally act as postsynaptic sites to form integral synapses with axon terminals. In mature central nervous system, dendritic spines are often in motility and variations of spine morphology and structure can largely influence the function of synapses. Eph receptor tyrosine kinase family and its ephrin ligand family are important axon guidance cues and also directly regulate dendritic spines. It has been widely established that activation of Eph receptors by ephrins promotes spine mature as well as affect spine morphology and structure. The abnormality of Eph/ephrin, however, generally im- pairs the synaptic function and results in several spine dysfunction-associated neural diseases.