Cytoskeleton and CRMPs in Neuronal Morphogenesis and Neurological Diseases: Potential Targets for New Therapies

Cytoskeletal proteins, and the molecules that control their assembly/disassembly, regulate neurite and spine growth and retraction, which are necessary for normal brain function. The neuron begins as a spherical shape, then lamellipodia and filopodia form nascent neurites which differentiate into dendrites and axons. These processes, also involved in neuronal plasticity, require changes in the dynamics of the cytoskeleton proteins and their intracellular binding partners, including collapsin-response mediator proteins (CRMPs). Abnormal changes in CRMP signaling induce structural/ functional abnormalities in neurons which are characteristics of various neurological disorders. Modulation of these pathways may represent unexplored areas for treatment of these diseases.