The p21-activated kinases in neural cytoskeletal remodeling and related neurological disorders

• 作者: Kaifan Zhang Yan Wang Tianda Fan Cheng Zeng Zhong Sheng Sun
• 来源期刊: 蛋白质与细胞
• 年，卷（期）: 2022,（1）
• 所属期刊栏目: REVIEW
• 页码范围: 6-25
• 页数: 20页
• 语种: 英文

摘要

The serine/threonine p21-activated kinases (PAKs),as main effectors of the Rho GTPases Cdc42 and Rac,represent a group of important molecular switches linking the complex cytoskeletal networks to broad neural activity.PAKs show wide expression in the brain,but they differ in specific cell types,brain regions,and developmental stages.PAKs play an essential and dif-ferential role in controlling neural cytoskeletal remod-eling and are related to the development and fate of neurons as well as the structural and functional plas-ticity of dendritic spines.PAK-mediated actin signaling and interacting functional networks represent a com-mon pathway frequently affected in multiple neurode-velopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.Considering specific small-molecule agonists and inhi-bitors for PAKs have been developed in cancer treat-ment,comprehensive knowledge about the role of PAKs in neural cytoskeletal remodeling will promote our understanding of the complex mechanisms underlying neurological diseases,which may also represent potential therapeutic targets of these diseases.