The development of a complex multicellular organ such as the nervous system requires precise regulation of cell migration, proliferation and survival. This regulation in turn requires the integration of long-range signals, such as growth factors, with short-range cues that define the precise location and cellular neighbours for any given cell. This short review examines one integrative mechanism, integrin-growth factor receptor interactions, and explores the role of lipid rafts in the molecular mechanisms that underlie the receptor interactions.
Copyright 2004 Biochemical Society