PMID- 17126587
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20070824
LR  - 20070420
IS  - 1357-2725 (Print)
IS  - 1357-2725 (Linking)
VI  - 39
IP  - 5
DP  - 2007
TI  - Neural agrin: a synaptic stabiliser.
PG  - 863-7
AB  - Neural agrin is a heparan sulphate proteoglycan first defined by its ability to 
      induce the clustering of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) on cultured muscle 
      cells. Neural agrin activates the transmembrane Muscle Specific Kinase (MuSK) on 
      the postsynaptic muscle cell to stabilise the developing neuromuscular synapse. 
      Three biological mechanisms for agrin/MuSK signalling are briefly discussed: 
      selective transcription of synaptic genes such as MuSK itself, to reinforce 
      developing postsynaptic clusters of AChRs; initiation of second messenger 
      signalling pathways that can induce the formation of AChR clusters and retrograde 
      signalling downstream of agrin/MuSK that may transform the growth cone of the 
      motor axon into a stable differentiated nerve terminal, specialised for regulated 
      exocytosis of neurotransmitter. Here we briefly review some key mechanisms 
      through which neural agrin acts to foster the formation of mature neuromuscular 
      synapses.
FAU - Ngo, Shyuan T
AU  - Ngo ST
AD  - Synaptic Biology Group, School of Biomedical Sciences (Physiology), University of 
      Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
FAU - Noakes, Peter G
AU  - Noakes PG
FAU - Phillips, William D
AU  - Phillips WD
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PT  - Review
DEP - 20061025
PL  - Netherlands
TA  - Int J Biochem Cell Biol
JT  - The international journal of biochemistry & cell biology
JID - 9508482
RN  - 0 (Agrin)
RN  - 0 (Receptors, Cholinergic)
SB  - IM
MH  - Agrin/genetics/metabolism/*physiology
MH  - Animals
MH  - Humans
MH  - Models, Biological
MH  - Neuromuscular Junction/metabolism/*physiology
MH  - Receptors, Cholinergic/metabolism
MH  - Signal Transduction/physiology
MH  - Synapses/metabolism/*physiology
RF  - 23
EDAT- 2006/11/28 09:00
MHDA- 2007/08/25 09:00
CRDT- 2006/11/28 09:00
PHST- 2006/09/30 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2006/10/17 00:00 [revised]
PHST- 2006/10/17 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2006/11/28 09:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2007/08/25 09:00 [medline]
PHST- 2006/11/28 09:00 [entrez]
AID - S1357-2725(06)00307-4 [pii]
AID - 10.1016/j.biocel.2006.10.012 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2007;39(5):863-7. doi: 10.1016/j.biocel.2006.10.012. 
      Epub 2006 Oct 25.