To phosphorylate or not to phosphorylate

EphB tyrosine kinase receptors have been implicated in multiple developmental processes; however, the signaling mechanism underlying these events remains unclear. Through a triple knock-in mouse line for three neurally expressed EphBs, Sokis et al. demonstrated that EphB tyrosine kinase activity is required for axon guidance but does not influence synapse formation. This short communication highlights their study and appealing molecular approach that elucidated the functions of EphB tyrosine kinase during developmental events.

[1]  H. Hirai,et al.  A novel putative tyrosine kinase receptor encoded by the eph gene. , 1987, Science.

[2]  T. Pawson,et al.  Nuk Controls Pathfinding of Commissural Axons in the Mammalian Central Nervous System , 1996, Cell.

[3]  A. Flenniken,et al.  Eph Receptors and Ligands Comprise Two Major Specificity Subclasses and Are Reciprocally Compartmentalized during Embryogenesis , 1996, Neuron.

[4]  T. Pawson,et al.  Juxtamembrane tyrosine residues couple the Eph family receptor EphB2/Nuk to specific SH2 domain proteins in neuronal cells , 1997, The EMBO journal.

[5]  E. Pasquale,et al.  Tyrosine Phosphorylation of Transmembrane Ligands for Eph Receptors , 1997, Science.

[6]  T Pawson,et al.  Unified Nomenclature for Eph Family Receptors and Their Ligands, the Ephrins , 1997, Cell.

[7]  T. Pawson,et al.  The Carboxyl Terminus of B Class Ephrins Constitutes a PDZ Domain Binding Motif* , 1999, The Journal of Biological Chemistry.

[8]  Michael E Greenberg,et al.  EphB Receptors Interact with NMDA Receptors and Regulate Excitatory Synapse Formation , 2000, Cell.

[9]  N. Yamamoto,et al.  Ephrin‐B3–EphA4 interactions regulate the growth of specific thalamocortical axon populations in vitro , 2002, The European journal of neuroscience.

[10]  C. Erickson,et al.  Ephrin-B ligands play a dual role in the control of neural crest cell migration. , 2002, Development.

[11]  C. Holt,et al.  Ephrin-B2 and EphB1 Mediate Retinal Axon Divergence at the Optic Chiasm , 2003, Neuron.

[12]  Aaron D. Milstein,et al.  GRIP1 controls dendrite morphogenesis by regulating EphB receptor trafficking , 2005, Nature Neuroscience.

[13]  M. Dalva,et al.  Intracellular and Trans-Synaptic Regulation of Glutamatergic Synaptogenesis by EphB Receptors , 2006, The Journal of Neuroscience.

[14]  Elena B Pasquale,et al.  Eph-Ephrin Bidirectional Signaling in Physiology and Disease , 2008, Cell.

[15]  Rüdiger Klein,et al.  Bidirectional modulation of synaptic functions by Eph/ephrin signaling , 2009, Nature Neuroscience.

[16]  Philippe Soriano,et al.  Ephrin-B1 regulates axon guidance by reverse signaling through a PDZ-dependent mechanism. , 2009, Genes & development.

[17]  M. Dalva,et al.  Ephrin regulation of synapse formation, function and plasticity , 2012, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience.

[18]  Matthew B. Dalva,et al.  EphBs: an integral link between synaptic function and synaptopathies , 2012, Trends in Neurosciences.