The DOI matches its Crossref record; 151 of the 151 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Actin Cytoskeleton Regulation in Neuronal Morphogenesis and Structural Plasticity
Abstract
▪ Abstract The actin cytoskeleton plays a major role in morphological development of neurons and in structural changes of adult neurons. This article reviews the myriad functions of actin and myosin in axon initiation, growth, guidance and branching, in morphogenesis of dendrites and dendritic spines, in synapse formation and stability, and in axon and dendrite retraction. Evidence is presented that signaling pathways involving the Rho family of small GTPases are key regulators of actin polymerization and myosin function in the context of different aspects of neuronal morphogenesis. These studies support an emerging theme: Different aspects of neuronal morphogenesis may involve regulation of common core signaling pathways, in particular the Rho GTPases.
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In the citing paper
“The actin cytoskeleton plays a key role in shaping dendritic spines and is critically important for numerous processes that contribute to the plasticity of synaptic function (Matus, 2000; Hering and Sheng, 2001; Luo, 2002; Ethell and Pasquale, 2005; Hotulainen and Hoogenraad, 2010).”
From Barriers in the brain: resolving dendritic spine morphology and compartmentalization (2014) · cites this paper as Luo, 2002
In the citing paper
“Actin cytoskeletal dynamics have a key role in the establishment and maintenance of both dendritic arborizations and spines, and are also critical for the structural alterations in spine shape important for cellular forms of synaptic plasticity, such as long-term potentiation and long-term depression.20, 21, 22, 23”
From The autism and schizophrenia associated gene CYFIP1 is critical for the maintenance of dendritic complexity and the stabilization of mature spines (2014) · cites this paper as [20]
In the citing paper
“The Rho small GTPases (particularly RhoA, Rac1, Cdc42) are regulators of the actin cytoskeleton that have a profound influence on spine morphogenesis (Luo, 2002; Newey et al., 2005).”
From The E3 ubiquitin ligase IDOL regulates synaptic ApoER2 levels and is important for plasticity and learning (2017) · cites this paper as Luo, 2002
In the citing paper
“In this regard, the observed changes in pathways related to cytoskeletal regulation and axon guidance in the trigeminal ganglion could potentially explain the observed changes in infraorbital nerve structure, as both are essential for structural plasticity33,34.”
From A deep-learning framework reveals whole-body perturbations at cell level (2026) · cites this paper as [33]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Luo, L.
- Affiliations
- Stanford University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Luo, Liqun
- ORCID
- Luo, Liqun
- Venue
- Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology
- Publisher
- Annual Reviews
- Published
- 2002-11
- Volume
- 18
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 601-635
- ISSN
- 1081-0706 (ISSN-L)
- 1530-8995
- OpenAlex
- W2148013477
- Cited by
- 658
- References
- 151
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 26 · 2016: 32 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 22 · 2013: 40 · 2012: 30
- FWCI
- 3.58
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Axon Guidance and Neuronal Signaling
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Protein Kinase Regulation and GTPase Signaling
- Keywords
- actin cytoskeleton, neuronal morphogenesis, structural plasticity, axon guidance, dendrite formation, dendritic spines, synaptogenesis, axon retraction, dendrite retraction, myosin, Rho GTPases, actin polymerization, signaling pathways
- MeSH terms
- Actins, Animals, Cell Differentiation, Cytoskeleton, Dendrites, Humans, Nervous System, Neuronal Plasticity, Synapses, Growth Cones, rho GTP-Binding Proteins
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