Leukaemia Foundation Research Unit, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, P.O. Royal Brisbane Hospital, Queensland, 4029, Brisbane, Australia.
Future Oncol. 2010 Jan;6(1):165-76. doi: 10.2217/fon.09.146.
Ephrins are cell membrane-associated signaling proteins bound by transmembrane Eph receptors on juxtaposed cells. Eph-ephrin interactions result in bidirectional signaling within both receptor- and ligand-bearing cells, with diverse consequences for cell morphology and behavior. Such interactions are especially important during early vertebrate development, and growing evidence has revealed equally important roles in adult-tissue homeostasis. As for the Eph receptors, abnormal expression of ephrins is associated with disease, especially cancer. The ephrins have received less attention than the Ephs in the literature, owing, in part, to their later discovery and that they are fewer in number. Here, we attempt to redress this imbalance and provide an 'ephrin-centric' discussion of the expression and function of ephrins in cancer.
Ephrins 是一种细胞膜相关的信号蛋白，通过相邻细胞上的跨膜 Eph 受体结合。Eph-ephrin 相互作用导致受体和配体细胞内双向信号传递，对细胞形态和行为有多种影响。这种相互作用在早期脊椎动物发育中尤为重要，越来越多的证据表明其在成人组织稳态中也具有同等重要的作用。对于 Eph 受体来说，ephrin 的异常表达与疾病有关，尤其是癌症。ephrin 在文献中的关注程度低于 Eph，部分原因是它们的发现较晚，数量也较少。在这里，我们试图纠正这种不平衡，并从“ephrin 中心”的角度讨论 ephrins 在癌症中的表达和功能。
