Neuropilin Is a Semaphorin III Receptor

Abstract

The semaphorin family contains a large number of phylogenetically conserved proteins and includes several members that have been shown to function in repulsive axon guidance. Semaphorin III (Sema III) is a secreted protein that in vitro causes neuronal growth cone collapse and chemorepulsion of neurites, and in vivo is required for correct sensory afferent innervation and other aspects of development. The mechanism of Sema III function, however, is unknown. Here, we report that neuropilin, a type I transmembrane protein implicated in aspects of neurodevelopment, is a Sema III receptor. We also describe the identification of neuropilin-2, a related neuropilin family member, and show that neuropilin and neuropilin-2 are expressed in overlapping, yet distinct, populations of neurons in the rat embryonic nervous system.

MICAL flavoprotein monooxygenases: Expression during neural development and following spinal cord injuries in the rat

“…In vitro studies suggest that all four plexinAs (plexinA1 -A4) form receptor complexes with both neuropilin-1 and neuropilin-2 (Rohm et al, 2000;Suto et al, 2003;Takahashi et al, 1999;Tamagnone et al, 1999). The specific responses of different classes of neurons to individual Sema3s can be explained in part by restricted and unique neuropilin distribution patterns and by the preferential binding of individual Sema3s to neuropilin-1 and/or neuropilin-2 (Chen et al, 1997(Chen et al, , 1998Feiner et al, 1997;Giger et al, 1998Giger et al, , 2000He and Tessier-Lavigne, 1997;Kolodkin et al, 1997). In addition, individual plexinAs also contribute to the specificity of axonal responses to Sema3s (Cheng et al, 2001;Suto et al, 2005;Yaron et al, 2005).…”

“…At 2 -3 days in culture, explants were fixed, stained, and analyzed as described previously (Kolodkin et al, 1997;Pasterkamp and Kolodkin, 2003).…”

Neuropilin‐1 is not a marker of human Foxp3+ Treg

“…Nrp-1 is a transmembrane protein mainly involved in axonal guidance [4] and angiogenesis as a receptor of class 3 semaphorins [5] and vascular endothelial growth factors [6]. In the immune system, we and others have shown that Nrp-1 is involved in the priming of T cells by DC [7] and in the regulation of the immunological synapse and response [8,9].…”

Cranial expression of class 3 secreted semaphorins and their neuropilin receptors

“…Recent studies have demonstrated that Semas may also act as chemoattractants (Bagnard et al, 1998;de Castro et al, 1999;Polleux et al, 2000). A transmembrane protein, neuropilin-1 (NPN1) has been demonstrated to be a receptor for Sema3A Kolodkin et al, 1997) whereas the related molecule NPN2 was found to bind Sema3C and Sema3F (Chen et al, 1997(Chen et al, , 1998Giger et al, 1998). NPN1 forms a homodimeric receptor for Sema3A, NPN2 does likewise for Sema3F and they act in concert to form a heteromeric receptor for Sema3C (Chen et al, 1998).…”