Ephs and ephrins in cancer: ephrin-A1 signalling.

Abstract

Ephrin-A1 and its primary receptor, EphA2, are involved in numerous physiological processes and have been intensely studied for their roles in malignancy. Ephrin-Eph signalling is complex on its own and is also cell-type dependent, making elucidation of the exact role of ephrin-A1 in neoplasia challenging. Multiple oncogenic signalling pathways, such as MAP/ERK and PI3K are affected by ephrin-A1, and in some cases evidence suggests the promotion of a specific pathway in one cell or cancer type and inhibition of the same pathway in another type of cell or cancer. Ephrin-A1 also plays an integral role in angiogenesis and tumor neovascularization. Until recently, studies investigating ephrins focused on the ligands as GPI-anchored proteins that required membrane anchoring or artificial clustering for Eph receptor activation. However, recent studies have demonstrated a functional role for soluble, monomeric ephrin-A1. This review will focus on various forms of ephrin-A1-specific signalling in human malignancy.

• Authors: Amanda Beauchamp, Waldemar Debinski
• Journal: Seminars in cell & developmental biology (Semin Cell Dev Biol) Vol. 23 Issue 1 Pg. 109-15 (Feb 2012) ISSN: 1096-3634 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 22040911 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Ephrin-A1
• Receptor, EphA2
• rho GTP-Binding Proteins

Topics

• Animals
• Cell Physiological Phenomena
• Cytoskeleton (metabolism)
• Endothelial Cells (metabolism)
• Ephrin-A1 (chemistry, metabolism, physiology)
• Humans
• Neoplasms (blood supply, metabolism, pathology)
• Neovascularization, Pathologic (metabolism)
• Protein Structure, Tertiary
• Receptor, EphA2 (metabolism)
• Signal Transduction
• rho GTP-Binding Proteins (metabolism)