The p21-activated kinases in neural cytoskeletal remodeling and related neurological disorders.
10.1007/s13238-020-00812-9
- Author:
Kaifan ZHANG
1
;
Yan WANG
2
;
Tianda FAN
3
;
Cheng ZENG
1
;
Zhong Sheng SUN
4
Author Information
1. Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
2. Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China. wangy@biols.ac.cn.
3. Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, China.
4. Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China. sunzs@biols.ac.cn.
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords:
expression pattern;
neurological diseases;
neuronal function;
p21-activated kinases;
synaptic cytoskeletal remodeling
- MeSH:
Animals;
Cytoskeleton/genetics*;
Humans;
Nervous System Diseases/genetics*;
Neurons/enzymology*;
Signal Transduction;
p21-Activated Kinases/metabolism*
- From:
Protein & Cell
2022;13(1):6-25
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
The serine/threonine p21-activated kinases (PAKs), as main effectors of the Rho GTPases Cdc42 and Rac, represent a group of important molecular switches linking the complex cytoskeletal networks to broad neural activity. PAKs show wide expression in the brain, but they differ in specific cell types, brain regions, and developmental stages. PAKs play an essential and differential role in controlling neural cytoskeletal remodeling and are related to the development and fate of neurons as well as the structural and functional plasticity of dendritic spines. PAK-mediated actin signaling and interacting functional networks represent a common pathway frequently affected in multiple neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Considering specific small-molecule agonists and inhibitors for PAKs have been developed in cancer treatment, comprehensive knowledge about the role of PAKs in neural cytoskeletal remodeling will promote our understanding of the complex mechanisms underlying neurological diseases, which may also represent potential therapeutic targets of these diseases.
