Centre for Cardiovascular Science and Medicine, University College London, 5 University Street, London WC1E 6JJ, UK.
Biochem Soc Trans. 2009 Dec;37(Pt 6):1171-8. doi: 10.1042/BST0371171.
NRPs (neuropilins) are receptors for class 3 semaphorins, polypeptides essential for axonal guidance, and for members of the VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) family of angiogenic cytokines. While mutant mouse studies show that NRP1 is essential for neuronal and cardiovascular development, little is known concerning the molecular mechanisms through which NRPs mediate the functions of their ligands in different cell types. NRP1 forms complexes with its co-receptors and is required for optimal function, but NRPs lack a clearly defined signalling domain and the role of NRP1 in receptor signalling and the function of the NRP1 cytosolic domain are unclear. Growing evidence indicates, however, that NRP1 plays a selective role in signalling at least in part via its C-terminal domain and interaction with intracellular binding partners.
神经纤毛蛋白（NRPs）是神经丛蛋白（neuropilins）的受体，是轴突导向所必需的一类 3 型 semaphorin 多肽，也是血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）家族中血管生成细胞因子的受体。虽然突变小鼠研究表明 NRP1 对于神经元和心血管发育至关重要，但对于 NRP 如何在不同细胞类型中介导其配体功能的分子机制知之甚少。NRP1 与共受体形成复合物，是发挥最佳功能所必需的，但 NRP 缺乏明确界定的信号转导结构域，其在受体信号转导和 NRP1 胞质结构域功能中的作用尚不清楚。然而，越来越多的证据表明，NRP1 通过其 C 末端结构域和与细胞内结合伴侣的相互作用，至少在部分信号转导中发挥选择性作用。
