Plexin-mediated neuronal development and neuroinflammatory responses in the nervous system

Abstract

Plexins are a large family of single-pass transmembrane proteins that mediate semaphorin signaling in multiple systems. Plexins were originally characterized for their role modulating cytoskeletal activity to regulate axon guidance during nervous system development. Thereafter, different semaphorin-plexin complexes were identified in the nervous system that have diverse functions in neurons, astrocytes, glia, oligodendrocytes, and brain derived-tumor cells, providing unexpected but meaningful insights into the biological activities of this protein family. Here, we review the overall structure and relevant downstream signaling cascades of plexins. We consider the current knowledge regarding the function of semaphorin-plexin cascades in the nervous system, including the most recent data regarding their roles in neuronal development, neuroinflammation, and glioma.