The BioGRID | PUBLICATION VIEW

	Nat. Neurosci. Nov (2004); 7(11):1204-12
Focal adhesion kinase in netrin-1 signaling.
Ren XR, Ming GL, Xie Y, Hong Y, Sun DM, Zhao ZQ, Feng Z, Wang Q, Shim S, Chen ZF, Song HJ, Mei L, Xiong WC
Department of Pathology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, USA.
Abstract: Netrins are a family of secreted molecules that are important for axonal outgrowth and guidance in the developing nervous system. However, the signaling mechanisms that lie immediately downstream of netrin receptors remain poorly understood. Here we report that the netrin receptor DCC (deleted in colorectal cancer) interacts with the focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a kinase implicated in regulating cell adhesion and migration. FAK was expressed in developing brains and was localized with DCC in cultured neurons. Netrin-1 induced FAK and DCC tyrosine phosphorylation. Disruption of FAK signaling abolished netrin-1-induced neurite outgrowth and attractive growth cone turning. Taken together, these results indicate a new signaling mechanism for DCC, in which FAK is activated upon netrin-1 stimulation and mediates netrin-1 function; they also identify a critical role for FAK in axon navigation.
[PUBMED: 15494733]